Masquerade
by Sultry Sweet
Summary: Fairytale Land: Emma and Regina meet at Emma's twenty-eighth birthday party and all is fine until Regina realizes who exactly the blonde is. Rated M to be safe. Smut AND fluff Regina/Emma
1. Chapter 1

It was meant to be a bittersweet day to end more bitter than sweet. The Evil Queen had prepared to enact the dark curse, to reclaim her happy ending, but the product of true love was on her way into the world.

No one was ready for her. Prince Charming had devoted most of his time planning ways to keep the kingdom. The Evil Queen worked hard on the curse that she didn't pay much attention to Snow's pregnancy. Snow White focused on keeping the baby safe and healthy in the womb when she wasn't busy worrying about the Evil Queen's plans of revenge.

No one thought the baby would be born an entire month too early. They thought they still had time until Snow felt the contractions and when that happened, everyone in the kingdom was informed.

The Evil Queen was in a rush as she heard the news in passing. She grabbed the box containing the heart of her prized steed and called upon the darkest of beings of the lands, those scorned souls with magic, those like her.

They gathered around a fire in the forest as the Evil Queen read the incantation. When all was said and done, she tossed the heart into the fire. It burned brighter as the smoke went from dark dray to purple, but the fire abruptly died.

"What," the Evil queen angrily asked though gritted teeth.

The gnome pointed and laughed at her.

"You failed. A-ha. Ha! The Evil Queen failed. And we're supposed to loyally follow you? Ba-ha ha."

The Evil Queen glared at the gnome as he carried on in his mocking tone. After he'd had a good laugh, she waved a hand out at him and turned him into stone.

If anyone else there had bothered to laugh or even crack a smile, they certainly hadn't after that display.

She didn't bother to glance around the group before she left in haste. Her only chance to gain the upper hand and take back the kingdom resided in the castle she once lived in.

She hopped into her black carriage and charged her horses in the direction of the castle. When she reached the grand palace, she sent her army after the guards.

_Nothing shall keep me from this child_, she thought. _I _will_ have my happy ending._

She didn't wait for her men to tell her the halls were clear. She crept into the back entrance, one she'd used often at one time to escape her depressing reality, and followed Snow's screams.

She grinned as she hurried down the long corridors, glad to know she wouldn't miss the tiny life in some final escape plan.

She rounded a corner and was greeted by a few alert guards. They ran at her full speed with their heavy weapons, but she threw out both of her hands and flung the guards across the marble floor.

The first two guards knocked into the other three and forced them on the floor like bowling pins. The amount of men told the Evil Queen she'd reached the right corridor.

But Snow's yells had stopped and she was left to listen for other indications to their location.

Then the baby cried.

She grinned again as she darted for the door the cries sounded from.

She burst inside to see Prince Charming crowded over Snow White and the little pink baby wrapped in a stitched white blanket, the name _Emma _embroidered on the side with purple lace.

"Emma," the Evil Queen breathed as she stared at the baby girl and left her lips parted after the name fell from them.

Emma squirmed in Snow's arms and turned to face the Evil Queen as her cries died down. She was able to open her eyes for a fleeting second, her emerald green orbs drawing the Evil Queen in like a moth to a flame.

Charming stepped away from the bed and drew his sword when the Evil Queen tried to come too close for comfort.

She tore her eyes from Emma only when she felt the tip of his sword press against her neck.

She looked up at Charming and closed her mouth. She glanced down at the sword then met his gaze again.

"You will _not _lay a hand on her, Regina," Charming barked.

She looked over at Emma again and watched Snow hold the girl closer to her, more protectively and tighter than when she'd entered the room.

"You assume I mean the girl harm," Regina asked as she kept her eyes glued to Emma.

"Of course," Snow answered. "You want nothing more than to punish me and what better way to do that than hurt what I love most."

Regina flashed a crooked smirk as she looked at Snow.

"It was wise of you to remember that," she slowly said.

"And it was _not_ wise for you come here," Charming piped.

"What shall you do to me, Prince," she briefly flirted. "You will not kill me. Not in front of your daughter."

"No, but I will kill you outside the palace."

Regina laughed and shook her head.

"You will not kill me at all," she cockily said.

"No? How do you know what I will and will not do?"

"Simple. You will have no grounds to do so."

"You have done much evil," Charming started. "Anyone would see your death as justified and long overdue."

"Not anyone. The people of your kingdom, yes, but you forget. I have friends of my own, friends with magic. Watch out for your little girl. I shall be back for her. For _Emma._"

Regina looked from Charming to the baby.

Emma fidgeted in Snow's arms and groaned in protest of her mother's hold.

Regina grinned as she looked back at Charming, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

Charming slowly went slack jawed and tightened his grip on his sword. He closed his mouth after a short moment and clenched his jaw.

Charming jabbed his sword forward, but the Evil Queen vanished in a puff of purple smoke. He stumbled forward, but caught himself before he could fall to the floor.

Emma started to cry.

He turned to Snow and Regina reappeared through another puff of smoke.

Regina leaned in and kissed Emma's forehead.

Emma quieted down as Regina's lips lightly pressed against her skin.

"Soon enough, my dear," she said in a low, sultry tone as she brushed her fingertips over wisps of golden blonde hair.

When Snow tried to pull Emma away from Regina, the Evil Queen smiled down at the baby and disappeared once again. Charming and Snow looked at each other with worry and confusion. They looked at Emma as she started to cry again and squirmed in Snow's protective embrace.

The Evil Queen reappeared at her dark palace on the farther part of the kingdom's outskirts. She stood by one of the windows and stared across the forest at the grand castle.

She touched her fingertips to her lips as she thought about kissing Emma's forehead. Though the connection had been brief, when she'd kissed the girl she'd felt something deep. A heavy, magnetic pull that drew her to the Princess.

"Regina, is that you," a short, round man asked with a twinge of hope in his voice.

His hair consisted of more salt than pepper in terms of color and his face had started to pale with age as his eyes sunk with years of wear and tear. He looked tired and worried as he walked into the dismal room, a look he wore since Regina let darkness consume her heart and soul.

Regina dropped her hand form her lips to her side and turned to face the man.

"Yes, father," she answered.

"Where did you go? There was trouble at the palace."

"I'm aware."

"Oh, Regina. Tell me you were not the cause of it."

"You wish for me to lie to you?"

Henry sighed and looked down at the floor.

"Why must you challenge the kingdom?"

Regina angrily glared at him.

"I am still the Queen. I should be ruling them, but since Snow White and her pathetic husband took the kingdom from me, I will destroy their happiness."

"How did you get this way? My daughter loved to ride horses and climb trees. She had hope and her smile would glow brighter than any star in the sky. The woman in front of me...isn't her. "

"She is no more. _This _is who I am. You should know better than most how that came to be. You let it happen."

Henry shook his head.

"I did no such thing."

Regina scoffed.

"You think you played no hand in this? In what I have become? I am this way because you did not stop her. When mother pushed me to be someone I wasn't and didn't want to be, you stood by and watched. When she married me off to the King, you insisted she wanted all the things for me she never had. I told you I didn't want her life, that I was angry all the time, and you blamed it on cold feet. I love you, but you did nothing to stop her. You let her carry on and make me unhappy, let her punish me for doing silly things most girls my age would get to do."

"Regina, darling-"

"No," Regina shook her head. "You didn't protect me. You knew how she was and you didn't protect me."

He looked down at his feet and nervously played with his hands. He looked sad, guilty even.

Regina clenched her jaw and tried not to cry as she thought back on the damage her mother had done. She slowly looked down and hid her eyes from Henry's view as he looked back up at her.

"I-" Henry started, but Regina grimaced as she held back tears and vanished.

Henry frowned as he watched the purple smoke appear and drift upward before it dissipated.

Regina took herself to the stables. She hadn't been there in a while and it looked the same as the last time she'd visited, Daniel's grave included.

She reached out and touched the small monument. After his death, she'd fought to give him a proper place of final rest, a painful reminder of the fatal day she lost her true love. Not even her kiss would bring him back to life as she cried over his lifeless body. The day she lost him was the day her heart started to go cold.

She gripped her fingers around the top of the grave and fell to her knees in her tight black dress. She suddenly began to cry, the first time since the night she'd lost him when she'd been able to cry over him.

Her body shook as a violent and loud scream ripped itself from the pit of her stomach.

She only had two people to blame for her misfortune and one of them had been sent to Wonderland.

_She wanted to be a queen so badly that she tried to live vicariously through me. So I made her a queen. Queen of Hearts, _she thought even as she cried. _Ironic considering she doesn't have one. _

Usually thinking of her mother stopped her from crying and helped her regain her tough, steely exterior. It started to work until she pictured her mother's face. She saw her mother standing in front of her with a smile before she was to marry the king. The picture then morphed into the memory of her mother at the stables with a stone cold glare as she looked down on Regina. From there, the memory played out until every last detail flooded her mind.

She started to cry as hard as she had before she'd thought of her mother and dropped her hand from the grave to her lap as she sat back on her ankles. Her make up started to streak down her face as she shook her head and wept.

"Daniel," she whispered as his face made it to the foreground of her thoughts.

She cried for a few more minutes then pushed herself back onto her feet. She brushed her tears away and looked down at his grave. She stood still in front of it as a calm wind blew past. She closed her eyes and let the wind hit her face.

After a long while, uncertain of definitive time, her tears had stopped and she felt in control of her emotions once again. When she regained her regal stature, she took a deep breath and magically transported herself to a new place.

Regina popped in to visit an old friend and enemy, the man who'd originally given her the dark curse.

"Hello, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin grinned as he stepped closer to his jail cell. "To what do I owe this surprise visit?"

"You know why I'm here," Regina bitterly spat at him as she approached the enchanted jail cell. "The curse didn't work."

"And you wish to put the blame on me?"

"It was _your _curse. Of course, I blame you."

"That curse should have worked, dearie. Whatever went wrong is because of something you did."

Regina clenched her jaw again.

"Maybe you misunderstood the ingredients," he suggested.

"No, that's impossible and don't think to tell me I said the spell wrong either because I didn't."

"Then I cannot help you."

Regina blew out a sigh through her nose as she tried to keep her anger at bay.

"Did you see her," he asked.

"See who?"

"The young Princess."

"Yes, I saw her."

"You're the one who was at the castle earlier. The one everyone is talking about."

"How do you know about that? It happened not too long ago."

"You forget, dearie, I have eyes and ears everywhere. How does she look? Healthy, I presume."

"She's beautiful," Regina softly confessed after a moment.

Rumpelstiltskin knowingly smirked.

"Oh, well. The curse is irrelevant now," he said after a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the way you carried on earlier today at the palace. Snow White and Prince Charming are working on a way to keep _you _out."

"What? How do you know this?"

"What they need is something only I could provide for them. I guaranteed them a solution that not even your magic could penetrate."

"Why would you do that," she angrily asked as she tried to keep her voice from hitting a shrill octave.

"Because my freedom depended on it, dearie," he grinned.

"They're letting you go?"

"Indeed they are. In about an hour's time, when they finishing putting up the barrier, they will come back to release me."

Regina shook her head.

"They are fools to think you are less than a threat compared to me."

"That they are, but that's not to say they didn't give me conditions upon my release."

"And what provisions did they request of you?"

"As long as I leave their precious kingdom and the people in it alone, I can live freely beyond the Enchanted Forest."

Regina rolled her eyes.

"That means nothing."

"_I _know that, dearie, but their only concern now is their beloved daughter and you're the only one that threatens her existence. I do believe I owe you a 'thank you' for that."

Regina tried to keep her breathing even, steady, as she clenched and unclenched her fists. She stared down at the dirt covered ground beneath her feet as Rumpelstiltskin coiled his hands around the bars of his unbreakable cell.

"I suppose that giving you some warning of what's to come would say that well," he added after a moment of pause to enjoy the view of her weakened state.

She immediately, though gracefully, raised her head and locked eyes with the Dark One.

"What do you know?"

"You will have a second chance at the Princess. In twenty-eight years time, something major and unnoticed will occur to the magical barrier they're casting over the kingdom. Our dear Emma will be unhappy and she will try to leave the kingdom. She will successfully create a hole in barrier. Find the hole and you find your way back in."

"Twenty-eight years? Why such a long time?"

"Because as the barrier keeps you out, it will also keep her in. Our lovely girl Emma does not like to feel trapped. She's much like you, adventurous."

"She isn't even ten minutes old yet, how would know that?"

"I am speaking of the future, am I not? I can tell you she _will _not like being caged inside the kingdom."

"Then why would she wait twenty-eight years?"

"There will be plenty of things in her way, keeping her from doing what she wants, nones of them to which I can see right now. But just before her twenty-eighth birthday, she will get what she wants...and so will you."

Regina knew Rumpelstiltskin was a tricky man to believe. He wasn't even a man anymore, hadn't been in a long time, but she liked the sound of getting what she wanted. Even with her mother out of the way, she still wasn't happy. She fought like hell to make sure she got her way, but those damn Charming's were persistent. Their drive to fight back was how she lost the kingdom after all. She wouldn't let them take anymore away from her and if she had to wait twenty-eight years to finally get her way, she would.

"What shall I do in the meantime," she asked him.

He grinned.

"Live your life. Do what you want when you want as long as you don't cause a fuss. Go back to your own palace and wait. Keep your hands busy. I don't really care what you do. That's not what's important. What happens when you can get past the barrier is what's important."

"And I have a feeling you're not going to divulge anymore information about how I'm to do that?"

"No, but I will be back to see you when the time is right. I speak only the truth, dearie, and you will have your day. You will find what you are looking for."

"And I don't have to make a deal with you for what you have provided me?"

"No. I told you, this is repayment for going after Emma. If it had not been for you, Snow White would not have come to me for help and I would still be condemned to this awful place."

She furrowed her brow in confusion as she looked him over.

"What shall you do once you are free," she asked.

"Roam the lands maybe? Do as I please. Snow White and her Prince will hear no more about me after I am free. I will be no problem, no worry, for them and that is the arrangement. I will be free so long as I keep to myself, away from _them._"

"That doesn't exclude other cities, does it."

"Afraid not," he smirked. "Again, I owe that all to you. They only want to protect their own and since you are the only one interested in attacking them, they have a narrow focus on possible future troubles."

"Great. I set free a monster," she muttered to herself, though Rumpelstiltskin heard her with perfect clarity.

"Yes, with your desperation and recklessness. Maybe now you will learn from your mistakes."

Regina looked at him.

"Thank you for the information," she said then turned to leave.

"Oh, before I forget. There is one more suggestion I have for you."

Regina turned back around to face him, a bit wary as she tried not to let him play her.

"Twenty-eight years, as you said, is a long time. You should do your best to keep yourself young. Vanity will be your only friend in the lonely years to come."

* * *

The blonde Princess stood in front of the mirror on a platform in a ball gown during another tiring dress fitting. Looking her best for yet another sheltered birthday party bored Emma. She didn't want to be a Princess if it meant she had to live a dull life.

She'd tried several times before in her youth to run away, leave her unsatisfying duties behind with her parents, but someone would always stop her before she got the chance to go far. She frowned at the memories that filled her head. She would be twenty-eight in a few days and she'd never left the kingdom.

"Oh, Emma, that dress is looking more and more stunning every fitting," Snow White warmly smiled at her daughter.

Emma sighed.

"Yes, but...how many more fittings do I need to attend before it's to your liking?"

Snow frowned.

"You don't like it," she asked as she shook her head.

"I...do, but I don't want to waste a perfect day inside the palace when I could go out and explore."

"Emma, your father and I have told you there is nothing to enjoy outside the kingdom."

"Yes there is. You got to see the world outside the palace walls. Why can't I?"

"The Evil Queen. That is the only thing waiting for you beyond the barrier. How many more times do I need to remind you of her and her intentions to harm you?"

"She has not tried to get through the barrier in all the twenty-eight years she had the chance."

"Maybe she has, but she no matter how hard she tries she will not be successful. Magic more powerful than hers was used to create it and as long as the barrier walls are up, she will never come to harm you."

Emma shook her head.

"I don't think that's what she wants."

"Of course it is. She tried to take you from us the night of your birth!"

"I know," Emma rolled her eyes as she knew she'd have to hear the same old story yet again.

"She nearly ripped you from my arms."

"No, she didn't."

"You question what the Evil Queen tried to do to you? Every night I warned you about her in stories, telling you the truth about what she did. You would not remember that night. You had only just been born."

"You tell the story differently now. You told me she got around father and _could have _taken me, but she left before she tried anything. If she was as close as you say, she would have taken me if it was her true intention to harm me."

"You are naive."

"Am I?"

"Her last words before she left were _'Soon enough, Emma.' _It was a warning she would one day come for you after she gave your father and I a blatant one."

"Fine. Then why don't you tell me another story about the Evil Queen. Tell me why she wants to harm me."

"I accidentally caused her a pain so great, her heart turned as hard as stone. The only thing she has to live for is revenge. She would love nothing more than to take you from us, knowing you are what we hold most dear."

"So it's your fault she's evil."

"No, darling. She did that herself. She had a choice."

"What choice? Maybe I don't completely understand the situation, but I know that if something was taken from her, _torn_ away from her, that she wants only revenge then her options were rather limited."

"I knew her when she was good. She killed my father, _your_ grandfather, Emma. She didn't have to do that. She could have stayed good. She _chose _to be evil, to be the way she is now."

"Out of every story you have told me about her, it sounds to me like she was unhappy."

"That may be so, but we do not kill to make ourselves happy. That is the difference between good and evil. It is what sets us apart from her and people like her and if you continue to defend her, I don't what I'll do with you."

Emma glared at her mother, but remained silent.

"Now, focus your attention on the ball. There will be a lot of people to please there. You haven't exactly been the best choice for a Princess in years past. Maybe this year the kingdom will actually put faith in you because, you know, your father and I will _not_ be around forever. One day you will rule this kingdom."

"But I will never be Queen."

Snow sighed as her frustration grew.

"Sadly, no, but that does not mean you should act any less like one. You are this kingdom's future. The people that live within the barrier are counting on you. You are aware that your father's health has been an issue as of late, especially with your childish behavior. He does not need more stress, but you continue to push and my health is not much better."

"Ruling the people can do that to you," she informed Snow.

"Yes, but raising an unruly daughter can also cause quite a negative impact as well."

"If you are disappointed in me than why spare my feelings. You should say what you feel and I know you and father agree that I am too difficult to ever be proud of."

Snow shook her head.

"We don't feel that way. We never have. Yes, you are difficult, but we will never regret having you. You are special and beautiful and we would not want you to be any other way."

Emma sardonically laughed.

"What a lie. There are plenty of things you wish to change about me."

"Enough," Snow nearly growled.

"No. You wish I wanted this life. You wish I liked being trapped inside the barrier and would just except my responsibilities as a Princess, as a Charming. I may not be perfect, but I like who I am. Your lack of pride for my spirit proves how much you would prefer me to be more like you."

"I was spirited once too, Emma. Have you forgotten the stories I told you about the dwarfs and my search for your father when the Evil Queen tried to keep us apart, ruin our happy ending?"

"How could I forget? All your stories involved you on a horse riding through the forest. It was a struggle, yes, but it was worth it. You fought for the life you have now. I can't fight for anything when I'm locked away."

"You have a lot of land to travel before you reach the barrier. You cannot possibly be bored with everything we have provided for you."

"I am! I am bored and unhappy. Why do you think I tried to run away all those times before?"

"As I have told you, as long as she is out there you will never be safe."

"I can take care of myself," Emma shouted as she stepped down from the platform.

The seamstress hadn't finished her alteration and Emma's sudden movements tugged on the fragile material in her hand. The bottom of the dress ripped and destroyed the work the woman had put into it that day.

Snow snapped.

"The dress! Emma! I swear, I don't know how to handle you anymore."

Emma balled up her fists as she tried not to scream.

"So don't _handle _me!"

Emma shimmied her way out of the dress and let it fall to the floor. She gave her mother an angry, dirty look as she walked toward the room door in only her undergarments and the heels she had been forced to wear to compliment the dress.

She left the room without another word and went to her bedroom. She went straight to the closet and grabbed the simplest outfit she owned. She had only had a few riding lessons when she was younger and even a few more after that when she turned twenty-five, but she never learned how to ride a horse well. She still had a riding outfit or two and rushed herself into one then fled the palace.

She grabbed a horse from the stables and a bow and arrow she had received on her tenth birthday and clumsily rode out the barrier with fierce determination.

No one followed her.

She stared at the glowing blue field as she slowed the horse to a stop. She tied the animal to a nearby tree, wrapping the reins around a thick branch, and defiantly stood before the barrier. She took a deep breath and released it in a violent sigh as she clenched her fists.

She charged the protection field at full speed, but when she connected with the magical barrier it shocked her and caused her to stumble back a few feet.

"Ah," she hissed as she assessed the damage it did.

There was a bleeding gash on her left bicep. The magic had cut through her riding coat's tough material and struck her with a stinging pain in her entire arm.

She gritted her teeth and stared at it only a moment longer before she dropped her arm to her side and looked over at the barrier again.

She grabbed her arrow from the sack on her back and pulled out one of five arrows. She got into proper shooting stance and aimed for the confining wall. The arrow bent on impact and quickly fell into the lush grass below.

She tightened her grip around the handle of the bow and clenched her jaw as she released a frustrated sigh. She spent another moment staring at the barrier then threw down the bow.

She took a deep breath then ran full speed at the barrier once again. She hit the magical shield with a right hook and cut her knuckles in the process. She immediately started bleeding and shook her hand as she hissed again in pain. She didn't waste too much time or focus on her hand as she approached the barrier.

She raised both hands and smacked her palms flat against the magical wall. She felt a shock rush from the barrier through her hands but that time chose to embrace the pain. She pushed against the wall and freed herself from the confines of the kingdom.

With that sole thought, she suddenly felt a wave of something indescribable. The only thing she could think to call it was magic.

Her jaw dropped and she gasped as she felt it course through her veins. She didn't feel a shock anymore as her hands stayed pressed against the web-like surface of the barrier. She felt it weaken under the pressure of her hands.

She wobbled as the magic continued to move through her then gave one final push against the barrier. The barrier split and created a door as she brought her hands back down to her sides.

She puffed out a sigh as her ticket out of the kingdom stood right in front of her. She smiled wide out of relief and joy, utter happiness.

She stepped through the opening and chuckled to herself. She took a deep breath and released it in a content sigh. She left the horse behind and headed into the forest.

She wandered around for hours as she kept her course. She only went straight except on a few occasions that the main path curved left or right. After a while, she stumbled on a palace beyond the trees in a vast, secluded clearing. The grass was green and the sun warmed the area, but the palace was dark and appeared abandoned.

She felt a magnetic pull call out to her and drifted toward the place with wonder. When she got close to it, she circled around the charcoal stone and reached out to touch it. She gently brushed her fingertips against the stone and felt her heart race.

She made it around nearly a forth of the palace when someone frightened her from behind.

"What are you doing," an older man asked as he attempted to sound authoritative.

Emma jumped and immediately froze, her shoulders as well as the rest of her muscles tense.

"Show show yourself," the man commanded.

Emma nervously, cautiously, turned around to face the gray haired man.

"Tell me. What is your name," he asked.

"E-Emma," she stuttered a bit.

The sickly man's eyes went wide in horror.

"Oh, please. ...You must leave at once."

"I'm sorry. I only wanted to see the forest. I-"

"No, you must go. My daughter, s-she has chosen a dark path like her mother. If she sees you here, I-I'm afraid of what she might do to you. Please, Princess, le-"

The man was cut off by a sudden fit of coughing. He keeled over and placed a hand on his knee while the other covered his mouth.

"Are you okay," Emma asked as she hurried to the man's aid.

He tried to talk between coughs but wasn't successful for several long seconds.

"No...stay ba-back! Go!"

A horse neighed in the distance as it approached the palace. His coughs got worse, more violent as he tried to push Emma away.

"Leave me," he said before she coughed again. "That is my daughter."

His words were strangled as his voice sounded like gravel.

"She'll take care of me, but she might _kill _you," he fought to tell her as his lack of oxygen brought him to his knees. "Run."

His last word to her was a whisper as she followed him to the ground. She cupped the side of his face with a look of concern as he laid on his back in the grass and continued to cough.

The horse galloped closer and closer, but Emma didn't want to leave. She stared down at the man and nearly cried not being able to help hm.

He pulled back his hand, away from his mouth, and Emma saw red around his mouth and in his palm.

"You are sick. I should get you some help," Emma told him.

"Don't worry about me, child. Go! My daughter's vengeance leaves little room for mercy," he warned. "And when she gets here, she will help me."

Emma looked from the man to the horse in the distance. She couldn't tell the identity of the rider, but when she looked down again at the man she made the split decision to take his advice, to heed his warnings.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she pushed herself off the ground and ran back in her previously taken direction.

Not long after Emma disappeared behind the trees and continued to run back through the forest, away from the man, the rider came back to the palace.

"Father? Father!"

Regina leaped from her horse and rushed to her father's side. She knelt beside him and cupped his face much like Emma had.

She appeared young and healthy. Not much about her physical presence had changed since the day of Emma's birth.

"You were getting better," Regina said as she looked him over.

The sight of his tired, aching body shivering in her arms as she placed his head under her right forearm brought tears to her eyes.

Henry coughed a few more times.

"Regina, my beautiful daughter...I...I love you," he struggled to say.

Tears streamed down her face as she pulled him closer.

"You...are a smart girl. I believe..in you. You will find...your happiness. I wish...I could have done more...for you. I'm sorry."

Regina shook her head.

"No, father, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me...I love you," she cried as his coughing stopped.

He could no longer breathe. He didn't have it in him to fight anymore. He took his last breath in Regina's arms.

"No! Please," she begged. "Please come back."

She didn't know what to do. She did the only thing she could do, the thing she had done every time her father showed signs of declining health. She hovered her hand over his face and magically made him look well again, but it was only physical. It was too late to change anything else.

She stared down at him after she rested her hand on his chest. She started to cry again and held him. After only a few minutes, Rumpelstiltskin appeared.

"Sorry to see your father didn't make it, dearie."

Regina glared up at him.

"I want to be left alone," she told him.

"I told you when it was time I would be back, did I not?"

He waited for an answer he knew he wouldn't get and continued.

"Well, it's time. The Princess has left the kingdom. There is an opening in the barrier."

"She will have to wait. I need to time to grieve."

"Grieve for a couple days, but the day after tomorrow is her birthday. There's going to be a ball."

"And? You told me she made an opening. I can go to the palace any time I please now."

"As true as that is, timing is everything and the ball is your most opportune time."

She sighed out of frustration then sniffled before she laid her father flat onto the grass. She wiped her tears and stood.

"Why is that," she asked, clearly agitated.

"Because, dearie, it's a masquerade ball. No one will recognize you. No will know you. You will have complete anonymity and could just creep in. Whatever it is you intend to do to the girl can be done quickly and quietly. What...is it you you want to do with her?"

"You can see the future. You know what I'll do."

"Oh, what you do and what you want to do are two completely different things. I can only see so much and even then I never know if it's a person's intention or if that's how things just...turned out for them."

"Then what I want to do is none of your business. I will have my revenge on Snow White and that is all I will tell you."

"As you wish, but I do hope you take the best chance you have at your revenge...at the ball. I will not be back unless you have something to offer in exchange for my help. Understand?"

"Of course. That was always our arrangement."

"Good."

He disappeared as fast as he'd appeared, in the blink of an eye.

Regina smoothed out her riding pants with her hands and took a deep breath.

_If I have nothing else, I will have my happy ending, _Regina thought.

* * *

_**Let me know what you think. :) The original plan was to make Emma younger, but I thought she should be old enough to truly make her own decisions, which is why I kept the same 28 year wait like in the series. So hopefully my ideas for this fic are valid and make sense to someone other than me. :D**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Finally finished this chapter and didn't want to wait for the weekend before I posted it! Feel free to thank me if you wish in a lovely little review (not necessary, but reviews are greatly appreciated) ;D  
**_

_**I hope to work double time to get more chapters of this and Settling the Score done next week with the free time I have so...fingers crossed! For now, enjoy. :)**_

* * *

For the last time before the party, Emma stood on a platform in her dress as she looked herself over in the mirror once again. She smiles as she turns from side to side to get a good view of the gown and paid no attention to the cut on her bicep.

Snow, however, paid close attention to the cut and not much else.

"How on earth did you hurt yourself this time," Snow asked with a frown.

"Fell out of a tree," she lied.

Snow disapprovingly shook her head.

"You're twenty-eight years old and you're still climbing up trees?"

"It helps me think," she told the truth that time, though she hadn't been in a tree in the last week or so.

"Unbelievable," Snow muttered in a sigh.

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll be a perfect lady at the ball tonight. In fact, I'll be a perfect, _Charming _Princess."

As if on cue, Charming walked into the room with a hand over his eyes.

"Is everyone decent," he asked as he held out his other hand to prevent himself from running into anything.

Snow smiled and giggled at her husband, still a clumsy but gallant man that could make her laugh after all the years spent together.

"Yes," Snow answered as she reached out and touched Charming's hand.

She pulled it away from his face and he opened his eyes.

He smiled at Snow then turned his head and saw Emma on the platform. She nearly glowed as she stood there, his daughter all grown up.

"You look...beautiful, Emma," he said as he almost lost all the words that came to his mind.

Emma smiled, happy to not fight with her parents, especially at her age, and looked herself over in the mirror again.

"You think so?"

She looked over her shoulder as she admired the low cut back to the dress that came together at the small of her back. Her long blonde curls cascaded to her shoulder blades and her green eyes popped in a cream colored dress.

The dress had gold accents in the swirly designs that started from the bottom and came up to short, tight sleeves that only covered her shoulders.

She turned back around and felt a tugging sensation in her chest. She felt it beat faster with anticipation for the night ahead and giddily smiled into the mirror.

* * *

Regina fanned out her hair as she decided to wear most of it down and only a section of it in a butterfly clip, something unlike the Evil Queen's style. She examined her dark, alluring purple dress that wrapped tightly around her chest but left her shoulders and upper back bare to be gawked at under enchanting lights.

She grabbed her ring from the vanity and stared down at it as she remembered the person who gave it to her. Daniel.

The moment didn't last long as she reminded herself not to cry. She looked back into the mirror as she slipped it onto her right forefinger and took a deep breath. She needed to keep her thoughts focused on her goal for the evening, find the Princess and hold her hostage. She wanted to see Snow squirm, worry day after day what the Evil Queen could do to her precious daughter. Then, when Snow offered herself in place of Emma, she'd rip the betrayer's heart out and crush it with her bare hand.

She picked up her mask and held it in front of her face for a fleeting moment before she felt a familiar pull inside her. Her body temperature increased as her heart beat faster and she started to feel drawn to something in the distance, something she couldn't see.

Her stomach twisted into knots that made her feel uneasy as she questioned what was happening to her. After a minute, the tension dissipated and turned into fluttering butterflies that flew from the pit of her stomach up to her heart. The feeling festered, but after getting used to it she welcomed it.

She smiled in the mirror, a genuine smile. She liked the way she felt and liked even more the look on her face, a return of innocence she'd long lost.

She applied the finishing touches to her make up then grinned and went to fetch her driver. She stepped outside at the front of her dark palace and snapped her fingers. Magically, her black velvet-like carriage appeared in the near distance.

A horse whinnied and strode forward to greet her in a welcoming manner. The driver didn't seem the least bit fazed, like he'd been summoned that way plenty of times before, and just accepted it.

He stopped the horse when the carriage door was only a few feet away from the Evil Queen and stoically waited for her to climb in.

"Glad to see you finally know your place," Regina grinned as she admired his silence. "I wouldn't want to hear you blathering on about nothing and ruin this night beyond salvaging like you've already done too many times."

She opened the carriage door herself, as she'd told the driver to allow her to do to save time, and got in. She got comfortable than dismissively flicked her wrist in the driver's direction.

The driver smacked the reins and the horse neighed before they were on their way.

The ride took only ten minutes from her palace to the glowing blue barrier and the driver stopped as close to the barrier as his conscience willed him to get.

Regina carefully got out of the carriage with a frown as she glared at the unnecessary distance between them and the barrier.

"Could you have stopped any further from my destination," she bitterly asked as she came around to the front of the carriage.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but it's not safe. I don't think you should enter."

"Do you think I care for your concerns because I don't. Thank you for your services. You are no longer needed."

She waved her hand at him again and a transparent purple field surrounded him then descended his body from his head to his feet.

He shook at the tingling feeling the magic gave him then rode off without his consent.

Regina turned to the barrier, bored from her interaction with the driver. She stopped close to the blue lights and inspected it. She noted the amount of magic that went into it, strong magic and strong will. Snow White and her Prince certainly wanted to protect Emma and rightfully so, but Regina wickedly chuckled as she knew they couldn't keep her from their daughter.

She held her hand up to the barrier and felt the energy both light and dark magic gave off like a shock wave. She closed her eyes and let the protective magic pump through her veins like her boiling blood that heated with anticipation.

Her lips parted as she felt that magnetic pull under the glow of the moon. She could hear party-goers in the distance and wanted nothing more than to find her way in. She desperately wanted to respond to the pull, to find the source of the tug in her heart and stomach though she already suspected the culprit.

She blew out a sigh and focused. She remembered baby Emma, the first time she saw the girl. She remembered the fleeting second of green eyes staring up into her brown eyes, how she felt connected to the little thing in her sworn enemy's arms.

"_Emma,_" she whispered against the barrier.

Her heart pounded once in her chest at the sound of the girl's name, but it wasn't her doing. It was part of the same magnetic pull, like a response to the name itself.

She started moving to her left, her eyes still closed as her hands hovered close to the barrier as she tried to feel out the opening. She let the pulling force guide her until her hands slipped inside the barrier, nothing there to defend the kingdom against her plan of attack.

She opened her eyes and smirked as she stared into the kingdom through unclouded vision, the barrier walls not in direct eye sight as she looked straight ahead.

She grinned and took a cautious step through the opening. Once on the other side of the barrier, she looked back at the blue light and chuckled at the harmless thing.

"If it's so powerful, how was one girl able to weaken it," she asked aloud as she shook her head.

She turned back toward the grand palace and moved forward in the direction of the music and conversing socialites in the distance.

After several minutes, she stared up at the lively palace as lights flickered and glowed while people filed in and out of the place without a care. She looked around at all the masks and, though she couldn't recognize anyone, she knew she'd caused every single one of them to suffer during her reign.

She smirked at the thought and continued toward the palace. She crept in through the back entrance, like she had the night she tried to curse the land, and followed the music to the grand hall. Once there, out in the open, she watched couples dance and laugh across the marble floor in front of the staircase.

She remembered when the King, her late husband, had thrown parties in honor of his daughter and in recognition for the efforts of his people. She never really cared for them due to the fact that she only served as the King's plus one, an attractive woman to make him look good in front of the rest of the kingdom. No one even noticed her unless he kissed her cheek or guided her onto the dance floor. Even then, they really only looked at him, only praised him in whispers for his ability to find a Queen soon after his beloved wife's death.

She was a prize that only had so much worth and that didn't include knowing her name, at least until she took over the kingdom out of revenge. Then she made sure her name echoed loudly across the land. She made sure it echoed enough to instill fear in those without magic, those who had followed the King's lead and hung on his every word.

Before she had the man killed, he never once had a masquerade ball. He wanted to know who his guests were so he could thank them for their attendance. More than that, he wanted to know who he could trust. There were plenty of people in the kingdom and he had his doubts that everyone adored him.

He was right, but the person that wronged him in the end was the one person he thought enjoyed his company more than anyone else other than his daughter Snow. He was a fool to think Regina had been happy, but then her happiness was never high on anyone's list of priorities except her own.

So she hid in the shadows of the ball and watched. She reveled in the sight of the blissfully ignorant, though she couldn't care less about them. Her sole purpose that night would be to find Emma and finally make Snow pay for her betrayal. She'd waited too long to make good on her promise of "soon enough" to the girl and it was time she get her happy ending.

She glided past people and made her way up the stairs. She looked down the three corridors that branched out from the landing for a few moments each, one to the left, one to the right, and another straight ahead, before she made a decision. She sauntered down the left hall and tried not to look lost. She knew the palace better than most of the people inside it, but she didn't need to know how to get to the kitchen. She needed to find Emma. She couldn't risk being approached by anyone that would try to help her for fear of losing her patience and being recognized.

Suddenly, a fit of laughter irrupted from two women in the opposite direction and caught Regina's attention. She spun around in time to notice two brunettes head into the grand ballroom linked together arm in arm.

_Of course, _she thought as she made her way toward the room.

A different song than the one playing in the grand hall sounded from the ballroom.

When the Charming's threw a party, they made sure everyone was satisfied.

It may have been a ballroom, but the music that played was less than eloquent, especially in comparison to the music in the grand hall. She had never heard such music played at a royal party, but she would be lying if she said she didn't like it.

She glanced around the room and took in her surroundings. Though she couldn't be certain, she felt the room was filled with a much younger crowd. She didn't mind either because she'd done well to keep herself youthful and resilient. She didn't doubt for a second she would fit in.

The song changed and those dancing had to feel out a new rhythm. They took only seconds to correct their paces to match the beat of the music and paired off as called for by the song. It was slower than the last and meant to be shared with someone.

She stared at them and wondered why she couldn't have had that. She didn't need a party or royalty to dance with someone she loved. Ever since she became the Queen though, she never felt loved.

Someone cleared their throat behind Regina and caused her to jump before she turned to face her masked company.

"You don't look pleased," the woman stated.

Regina looked her over. She wore a white dress with gold accents that accentuated her curves as well as her supple breasts. Blonde curls flowed down her back and her pale face was hidden behind a gold mask lined with diamonds.

"I...I only recently arrived," she responded as she tried to make out the blonde's eye color, but couldn't.

"That's no excuse," the blonde smiled. "What would make you happy?"

Regina inhaled and tried to think of a good answer. She couldn't very well tell the woman her plan.

"I suppose a dance partner would help," she said after she scanned the room again.

"Are you looking for one or hoping one will come to you?"

"What difference would that make."

The blonde laughed.

"_Every_ bit of difference."

The blonde looked at Regina from head to toe then held out her hand.

"Come with me."

Regina frowned.

"Where to?"

"You'll see."

Regina looked from the blonde's eyes to her extended hand. She looked around the room in case Emma had arrived.

The blonde pushed her hand closer to Regina's and ran the pad of her thumb across the back of the brunette's hand.

Regina whipped her head around and stared down at their hands.

"I promise where we're going will make you happy," the blonde said as she invitingly ran her thumb back over Regina's hand in the opposite direction.

She pulled her hand away, though continued to offer it to Regina as she stared into the woman's eyes.

"Careful what you promise me, dear," Regina said after a moment as she looked up into the blonde's eyes. "Break one and you'll only live to regret it."

"I don't usually promise people anything because my promises are more like guarantees. You should consider yourself lucky," she grinned.

Regina slowly smiled and took her hand.

The blonde led them out of the room and down an all too familiar corridor. She guided Regina out of the palace through the back, the secret way Regina had used to get in, and took her into the forest.

"You shouldn't be out here. It's dangerous," Regina warned though she didn't resist the blonde's pull.

"Safe is boring. ...You're not scared, are you?"

Regina wickedly chuckled.

"Not many things scare me," she confessed.

The blonde turned and flash a wide smile as she hurried forward.

"Good."

She led Regina far enough from the party that the sounds from the palace were like a distant memory. They were deep within the forest, lit only by the bright moon overhead, when she spun Regina in front of her.

Regina's breath caught in her throat at the sudden change in direction.

The blonde gripped Regina's hands in hers and pulled her closer to avoid slamming the woman against the tree a few feet behind her. She took one of Regina's hands and placed it on her shoulder as she placed one of hers on Regina's hip.

She held Regina's left hand in hers and started to sway in the moonlight with the brunette.

"There's no music."

The blonde smiled.

"Then let's make some."

Regina frowned, confused by the blonde's words.

"How?"

"Listen."

Regina tried to hear what the blonde must have heard, but couldn't find the rhythm. She shook her head.

"I don't hear anything."

"Close your eyes."

Regina stared at the blonde for several seconds.

"You don't trust me."

"I don't even know you," Regina defended.

"Well, I'd tell you, but then...what's the point of a masquerade ball if we know who everyone is? Takes the fun out of guessing, don't you think? ...Now, close your eyes."

Her voice was soft and nonthreatening. Though it was a command, Regina felt safe enough that if she didn't want to do it, the blonde wouldn't force her.

She relaxed and finally closed her eyes.

"Listen," the blonde repeated.

Regina tried not to think. She tried to do what she thought closing her eyes meant for her to do. She had to feel it, like magic. She had to feel their surroundings, feel nature. She listened as she shut out all other thoughts and pushed them far back into her mind so she could focus on the moment.

She heard leaves and branches rustling in the breeze. She heard crickets chirp like a ticking metronome, but the loudest sound she could hear was the beat of her own heart.

She parted her lips, her eyes still closed, as she fell in sync with the blonde. She tightened her grip on the woman's shoulder and took a step closer that still left a bit of space between them.

The blonde smiled at Regina as she stared at her peaceful demeanor. She pulled Regina in by the hip until their bodies pressed against each other. She moved her head beside Regina's and continued to dance with her.

Regina had opened her eyes the instant their bodies collided. She didn't tense, but if the blonde had been able to see her eyes in that moment she would've seen a brief panic flash in them. She rested her head next to the blonde's anyway and the panic left her brown eyes.

They danced for another minute until Regina pulled away to gaze into the blonde's eyes. She still couldn't tell the color, but they were soulful and alluring. She couldn't look away even if she tried.

"Do you want to go back," the blonde asked.

Regina shook her head, but didn't say a word. She just kept staring into the blonde's eyes.

The blonde stared back as she tried to read the situation. She didn't know what to do, but she knew what she wanted to do. She let go of Regina's hand and used hers to cup the woman's cheek.

Regina parted her lips again and wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck.

The blonde leaned in and dropped her hand from Regina's face to her other hip. She held the brunette against her as she kissed Regina. She held back at first and used only her lips to sweetly capture Regina's.

Regina pressed her wrists into the back of the blonde's neck to keep her close during their next kiss as she opened her mouth to grant the blonde access.

Their masks scraped against each other as their kisses became more heated.

The blonde jumped at the opportunity and slid her tongue past soft lips to explore the depths of Regina's hot, welcoming mouth. She stepped forward and pinned the brunette against the tree she earlier avoided.

Regina moved a hand from the younger woman's neck down to her lower back. On the way down, her index and middle fingertips gently swept across the woman's exposed skin along her spine.

The blonde sighed between kisses and pushed her lower body against Regina's. She slipped a knee between Regina's thighs, though the two of them only felt the dresses ride up instead of the others' thighs against them.

Regina used the hand still at the younger woman's neck to peel off the blonde's left dress sleeve. The dress was tight around her breasts so the sleeve only fell halfway down her bicep and revealed her right shoulder. She let her fingers roam over the new expanse of smooth skin available to her as she ran her other hand up the younger woman's back, retreating from the blonde's backside.

The blonde pulled Regina closer as she gripped the brunette's lower back. They were as close as they could physically get with their clothes on.

Regina moaned and wrestled with the younger woman's tongue for a little longer. She touched a hand to the blonde's chest and pushed her away.

The younger woman frowned.

"Are you not happy?"

Regina smiled.

"I am."

"Then what's wrong?"

"We shouldn't do this here."

"But if we go back to the palace-"

"Unless you need to be there, we're not going to the palace," she huskily said.

The blonde bit her bottom lip.

"Take me."

Regina grinned.

"Gladly, dear. Follow me," she said as she took the blonde's hand and led her out of the forest.

Emma would have to wait. Regina had needs and the blonde would more than satisfy them. It'd been too long since she'd been intimate with someone, since she'd felt connected to someone aside from the recent magnetic pull. It was time to enjoy the feeling.

She and the blonde hurried side by side to the barrier.

Inches away from the blue magic, the blonde stopped but kept her hand in Regina's.

"What's wrong?"

"You...you live outside the kingdom?"

Regina's jaw dropped slight as she slowly turned and stepped closer to the blonde.

"Yes," she reluctantly replied.

Regina waited for the younger woman to say something, but she never did.

"Do you want to stay?"

The blonde looked back at the palace in the distance then at the barrier. When her eyes found Regina's she smiled.

"No."

Regina grinned then pulled the blonde into a kiss. She turned to the barrier and headed toward the opening.

The blonde followed after her, their hands still clasped together, as they made their way through the barrier.

In that moment, Regina wished she could use her magic to get them to her palace faster, but she couldn't risk the exposure. Instead, she tried not to think of all the things she would do to the blonde back at her palace. She pulled the blonde in front of her and held her hands from behind.

"If I'm supposed to lead the way, tell me you'll push me in the right direction," the younger woman said with a smile as she leaned back into Regina.

"Of course, dear. Push, shove, anything that involves my hands on you," she purred in the blonde's ear.

The younger woman shivered against her. She devilishly grinned and used a hand to pull blonde tresses out of her way, her fingers still laced with the younger woman's. She leaned in and kissed the blonde's neck and followed it with a gentle bite.

The blonde moaned and let go of one of Regina's hands to reach behind her and tangle her fingers in her long, wavy hair.

"Patience," Regina elongated the word in a sultry tone as her lips hovered over the younger woman's neck.

The blonde's heart began to race as her breathing quickened. She slowed down to a near stop and Regina slowed with her.

"We'll never make it to my place before sunrise if we stop now," Regina told her.

"I don't care," the younger woman said as she spun around in Regina's arms to face her.

She kissed Regina before the brunette had time to react. After a few quick but passionate kisses, Regina smiled and grabbed her by the waist. She lifted the blonde off the ground and steadied her in the air with her hand on the woman's backside.

The blonde wrapped her legs around Regina's waist and her dress bunched up around her hips.

Regina ran a hand up the back of the blonde's left thigh and made her moan the closer she got to her sex. She nibbled at the younger woman's bottom lip and teasingly stopped her fingers less than an inch away from the woman's center.

The blonde gasped as Regina continued to nibble on her lip and titled her head back.

"I want to go to your place," she breathlessly said.

Regina let go of the blonde's bottom lip.

"Then be patient. You're the one who stopped."

Regina set her down and took her by the hand again. She walked beside the blonde as they continued to her palace. She kept her hands to herself, other than the one in the younger woman's, to ensure they got to the palace without any further distractions.

After fifteen minutes, the two were staring at the dark castle as they desperately moved toward it.

Suddenly, the blonde felt a feeling of familiarity build up inside of her. She looked quizzically over the gloomy palace then looked around at the surrounding forest.

"I've been here before," she said.

"Have you?"

"Yes, I believe I have. Just the other day, in fact."

"The other day."

The blonde nodded as she continued to stare at it. She thought about when she'd been there and remembered the man who had warned her about his daughter.

"He was afraid," she mumbled as she meant to keep her thoughts from that point on internal.

"I'm sorry, dear?"

She stared at the palace for a few more seconds before she shook her head and turned to Regina.

"Nothing," she said. "This place is really familiar. I doubt I've been here before. How could I when you and I just met?"

Regina flashed a smile and gave a single nod.

"Come along. I have quite a few ideas for what we can do inside," she carnivorously grinned.

The blonde bit her bottom lip as she tried to contain her excitement, but she decided there wasn't much need as the brunette led her to the front door.

Inside, the younger woman looked around at the dimly lit palace. It almost mirrored her own, but with a few alterations to the floor plan and a much darker, dangerously alluring mood to it. Her palace was supposed to symbolize hope and light, salvation, while the brunette's seemed more like a symbol of loss and suffering.

"Shall we wait until I get you in my chamber or would you like to get on with it," Regina asked with a smirk.

The younger woman grinned.

"Your bedroom sounds like a good place to start."

"What if I can't wait another second," Regina asked in a low tone as she backed the younger woman into the nearest wall.

"I..." the blonde was speechless, lost in Regina's brown eyes, though with the lack of light in the palace they looked pitch black.

Regina's grin faded as she looked over the younger woman.

"Have you ever done this before?"

"With another woman?"

"With anyone."

The blonde hesitated.

Regina took a step back.

"Oh," she said.

"That doesn't make me undesirable, does it?"

"No, of course not," Regina shook her head and got closer again to reassure the blonde she spoke the truth. "But that does change things."

"How?"

"We'll go slow. That is...if you want to do this."

"I want to. I wouldn't have come this far if I didn't want to."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm old enough. I should have a husband by now, maybe even a child or two."

"And why is that not true?"

"Other things...mattered more."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Exploring. Being me. Doing what I wanted and not what everyone expects of me. I didn't choose the life I have now."

"Do you not want the life you have?"

"I..." she trailed off then sighed before she continued. "There's something in me, this feeling I get from time to time. Whenever my parents try to marry me off or remind me about my responsibilities, there's something that tells me it's not right. Nothing in my life feels right. Not until..."

She trailed off again and looked down.

Regina hooked her index finger under the younger woman's chin and lifted her head to make eye contact.

"Until what, dear?"

"Until now."

Regina smiled. She wanted to use the girl and move on, get back to her search for Emma in her thirst for vengeance, but there was one thing she couldn't do. Of all the horrible things she had done as the Evil Queen, she couldn't steal a girl's innocence the way she would've if she hadn't asked the blonde. She knew innocence was all too precious to destroy and rip apart, though she wanted to do many unsavory things to the younger woman in front of her.

Regina looked at the blonde and slowly leaned in. She sweetly kissed the younger woman and rested a hand on the blonde's neck.

"Have you ever done this...with a woman," the blonde asked a moment after Regina pulled back.

She shook her head.

"But I've been with someone else."

"And why aren't you with them?"

"Because I didn't love him. ...I could never love him."

"Have you ever been in love?"

Regina flashed a smile but it quickly faded away as thoughts of Daniel came flooding to the surface. She wasn't reduced to tears, but she felt a pang in her heart.

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"Other things mattered more," she echoed the blonde's words as she looked back into the younger woman's eyes. "Not to me, but I didn't have control over my life then. Not like I do now."

"What was it like? Being in love."

"Safe...and not in a boring way," she smiled at the blonde.

The blonde smiled back as she caught the reference the brunette made to her earlier comment.

"For the first time in my life, I no longer had to walk on egg shells. I was going to run away with him and we would be together. He wouldn't let me fall. He wouldn't hurt me. I didn't have to worry about my mother or the life she wanted for me. All I had was him and he felt like home. I knew in my heart wherever we went, I'd be home as long as we were together."

The younger woman smiled at the sentiment.

"It's strange," the blonde started. "That feeling I get that tells me everything is wrong...it kind of makes me feel like that. I feel weightless when it hits me. It catches me off guard and even though I've felt it my entire life, it makes me feel uneasy at first. But...after a few seconds, It makes me melt inside. Is that odd?"

Regina looked straight into the blonde's eyes when she took the woman by her hands. She shook her head and guided the woman away from the wall, toward the stairs. She led her up to her bedroom and lit the candle by the doorway. The soft orange light flickered as she positioned the blonde with her back to the bed.

She leaned in and kissed the younger woman again as she let go of the blonde's hands. She ran her hands up the woman's arms and stopped when her fingers touched the gold mask.

The kiss lingered though she'd broken it and waited for the blonde's eyes to open before she spoke.

"Are we done being mysterious," she asked with a playful grin.

The younger woman smiled.

"That feeling I mentioned...? It's telling me to trust you."

_Bad move, _Regina thought.

"So I trust you."

Regina smiled at her once again before she spoke.

"Together?"

The younger woman brought her hands to the purple mask and waited.

"Together," the blonde responded.

"One," Regina slowly started. "Two...three."

They lifted the masks and came together in a kiss before they could see the others' true identity. They slowly brought the masks down to their sides and wrapped themselves around each other, Regina's hand on the blonde's waist while the younger woman lightly rested her thumb against Regina's jaw.

They pulled away and kept their eyes closed for a few more seconds before they faced reality once again.

Regina opened her eyes first and stared at the blonde's eyelids less than a second before she opened them. She found herself staring into green eyes and instantly fell into a trance. Though it had been years, the girl's look still had the same affect on her.

"Emma," she whispered.

Emma looked over the woman's features carefully. She stared into those deep brown eyes and squinted as she thought about the dark palace. It was the same creepy, sinister place she had been only days ago when the man had warned her. Her memories hadn't failed her. She had in deed been there and the man that warned her to stay away wasn't just talking about his daughter.

When Regina grinned after she snapped out of her haze, Emma knew the man had tried to warn her about the Evil Queen.

"It's you," Emma said as her eyes went wide.

"Yes," Regina hissed.

Emma tried to make a break for the door, but Regina's hand coiled around her neck and held her in place. Her eyes as wide as saucers, she stared at Regina in fear.

Regina chuckled then leaned in and kissed her. She was careful not to choke Emma with the hand she had around her neck. That wasn't her intention. She just wanted to keep the girl in reach.

She gripped at the part of Emma's dress that clung her right hip and lustfully pulled the blonde into her. When she broke the kiss, she moved her hand from Emma's neck to her shoulder and pushed the girl onto the bed.

"I'm going to have fun with you," she cockily purred as she stared down at the tense blonde.

She bent down and ran her hands across the bed until her lips hovered over Emma's and rested her hands on the bed above Emma's shoulders. She pressed their centers flush against each other.

Emma bit her bottom lip at the feeling. She hated herself for it, but it wasn't long ago the woman was just a brunette standing alone at her birthday party, unhappy and without a dance partner.

Regina laughed as she recognized the girl's conflicting thoughts as they appeared clear as day across her face.

"Don't worry, dear. This won't hurt you as much as it will your mother."

"You really are going to use me to get to her, aren't you."

"What else would I do with you?"

"I defended you."

"Not the best thing to do."

"But...you...I..."

Regina shook her head.

"Well? Spit it out!"

Emma sighed in frustration and defeat.

"It must be my lucky day. First you make that opening in the barrier and then _you _drag _me _away from the party. And it's only going to get better for me."

Emma gulped and shook her head.

"What? You don't think so," the Evil Queen asked her.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because Snow White deserves to pay for what she did."

"What did she even do to you?!"

"Has she told you anything about me?"

"Several times. Nothing good. I just didn't believe her."

"Your mistake."

Regina pushed off the bed and stood. She grabbed Emma's hand and yanked the blonde to her feet. She snapped her fingers and a cage appeared near the foot of the bed. She waved her hand in front of Emma and flung it toward the cage.

The cage door swung open as Regina magically threw Emma inside.

Her back hit the far wall of the cage and she collapsed with a grunt as she slid down the bars. She stared at Regina as the brunette shut and locked the door with the flick of her wrist. She tried to see the softer side of the Evil Queen, but the warm look had left her brown eyes as they were then filled with hate and thrilling satisfaction.

Regina spoke with a sultry tone, her eyes dark as she sinfully grinned.

"You might want to get comfortable, dear."

* * *

_**Like it? Let me know. I will be continuing this for as many chapters as my brain will work out so don't worry, they're story isn't done yet. :D Thanks for reading.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! This chapter has started to deviate from what I had intended from the story, but I've worked out a way to make it work in future chapters as far as plot is concerned. It's a little short, but hopefully just as enjoyable as the others if not more. :)**_

_**Also, if my timeline differs from the show about Snow and Regina, I apologize, but I still think it works the way it's written for this story. **_

* * *

Emma growled and grunted as she banged on the bars of her cell. She rammed herself against the cage like she ran herself into the barrier. After she slammed her cut bicep into the bars, she hissed and took a couple steps back. Another step after that and her back hit more bars.

She sighed and closed her eyes as she leaned her head against the bars behind her. She evened out her breathing as she tried to think of other ways out. She opened her eyes and looked up at the top of the cage.

She bit her bottom lip and took a few steps forward. She reached out and grabbed the bars. She pulled herself up the front wall and attempted to climb it like a tree.

Regina reentered the room and chuckled when she saw Emma.

"I'm afraid that won't work, dear," she grinned. "You can only get out when I let you out."

Emma clenched her jaw and jumped down.

"What do you want?"

"I want your mother to pay for what she did. I thought I made that clear."

"You might have mentioned that, but what do I have to do with getting even with her?"

Regina wickedly grinned as she stepped toward the cage.

"She loves you more than anything in the world, dear. I loved someone that much. He was taken from me and it's all her fault. So now I'm going to take you from her."

"By killing me?"

"Of course not. Not yet anyway. False hope works wonders. I've already instructed my people to inform them of my capture. Soon they will either fight me or try to make a deal with me to get you back."

"But you won't give me back."

"Exactly," Regina purred as she brought her face less than an inch away from the bars. "Keep impressing me like that and I might actually like you. You're not as naïve as your mother."

"Kind of hard to be when your whole life is spent hearing stories of an Evil Queen who only wants to hurt you."

"Oh, dear, I could make it hurt in all the right ways. You would not consider yourself a victim if we had continued our actions in my bed."

"You are truly sickening. What happened to the woman in the forest?"

Regina haughtily chuckled.

"She never existed. It was all an illusion."

Emma shook her head.

"It felt plenty real to me..._Regina._"

Regina parted her lips and looked from Emma's green eyes to her pink lips.

"Come here," she demanded in a sultry tone as she looked into Emma's eyes again.

"Not until you let me out," Emma firmly said.

"I didn't have to get your permission. I was being kind. Your loss," she confessed as she waved her hand toward herself.

She magically moved Emma closer to the bars.

Emma gripped the bars to keep her from moving forward, but Regina placed her hands over Emma's and held her at the bars with her magic.

Their hands shimmered under purple sparks as Regina leaned in and kissed Emma. Her tongue slithered across Emma's lips to beg for entrance.

Emma didn't budge.

Regina trapped Emma's upper lip between her teeth and nipped at it as she slid her tongue over it afterward. She pulled away and let go of Emma's hands.

The blonde stepped back, away from the bars, and didn't look pleased.

"You will give in to me," Regina smirked with a devilish gleam in her eyes.

"What happened to taking it slow," Emma asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Regina knew the truth. The price of innocence was too great and as dark as she was, she couldn't go there. She wouldn't. It was the last ounce of good she felt she had in her, but Emma was her prisoner. Emma needed to worry, fear for something even.

"That was before I knew who you were, Princess. Now...you're mine," she gave a predatory growl.

Suddenly, the two were interrupted by the Huntsman.

"My Queen," he said as he stopped in the doorway.

Regina slowly turned and sighed to let go of her growing frustration.

"What have I told you about my room," she rhetorically asked him before she continued. "You are not to interrupt me while I am in here unless I extend to you an invitation."

"I'm sorry, my Queen. I thought you should know as soon as possible that Snow and Charming have been told of their daughter's whereabouts."

"That was awfully fast, Huntsman. Tell me, how did they get the news?"

"One of the dwarfs were out looking for the Princess. He found the whole in the barrier and started searching the forest. I ran into him there and told him of your doing. The Blue Fairy overheard."

"And she told them?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"How did they take it?"

"Before I had a chance to follow the dwarf to the palace, the people of the Kingdom were summoned by Snow White and Prince Charming. They are prepared to start a war."

Regina grinned.

"Then a war they shall have. What do you think, Emma," she asked as she turned back to the blonde. "Care to see some bloodshed?"

"Only yours."

"Then I'm going to have to disappoint you again, dear."

Regina turned to the Huntsman once more.

"Tell the others to assemble. I want a full staff guarding this palace and the next five miles surrounding it. I want to protect my new possession."

"Protect me," Emma asked.

"Yes," Regina turned to Emma. "I wouldn't want to lose my leverage, would I? You're about to be the most important thing in my life."

"You value me."

"That I do. Huntsman, leave us," she shooed him, her back still to the man.

The Huntsman did as he was told and left.

"That's strange," Emma told her.

"Why is that strange?"

"Because I'm the daughter of the person you hate the most and you value me. Shouldn't you hate me too?"

"What did you ever do to me that I should hate you?"

"There! What you said. I've done nothing to you. You shouldn't lock me up. You should let me go."

"If I did that, you would return to the Kingdom and surely, I would be executed. Your mother chose not to have me killed last time, but now I have kidnapped her daughter. That should undoubtedly change her mind."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"This fighting is why I was forced to a life of solitude! Do you know what it's like to live inside the walls I did?"

"I do, dear. I once lived there myself. Or did your mother not mention the tragedy that was my marriage to her wretched father."

"She did not."

"Then allow me to fill in what she left out. I was going to run away with the stable boy. I loved him, but my mother didn't want that life for me. It was my life to live, but she wouldn't allow it. Your mother found out about him and me and I warned her what would happen if my mother ever found out. I told her to keep it a secret, but she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"My mother..._got rid of _Daniel and I was forced to marry the King. If it weren't for Snow White, I would have run away with Daniel and I would have been happy. Instead, she made me her stepmother and had everything to gain from the marriage. Until she was sixteen, she was more than happy with the arrangement.

"She was unbearable. Those eight years, she wanted me to brush her hair, calm her when she had nightmares, do all sorts of things a mother would do."

"But you were her stepmother. She was only a girl. She expected you to take care of her. I assume her father couldn't help much being a man. He wouldn't know much about raising a girl," Emma said.

"Of course you would defend her. She ruined my life, my one chance for happiness."

"She was only a girl when she told your mother about Daniel."

"I _warned _her! I told her my mother was manipulative. I told her my mother would say anything to get what she wanted, but she didn't listen. If you interrupt me again, I _will _use my magic on you."

"Not much of a threat. You already have. I broke out from the last prison I was in, my own home, for you to lock me away in another one. Then you kept me still to steal a kiss from me only moments ago."

"You don't want to understand why I'm doing this? Why you're trapped yet again?"

Emma sighed.

"In order to understand that, you have to understand me," Regina continued.

"Fine," Emma tiredly agreed. "You said you knew what it was like to live inside the walls I did. Explain to me what happened."

Regina took a deep breath before she started again.

"I was stuck for years being compared to the King's late wife, taking care of a child I didn't want any accountability for. The King missed his wife. He never really saw me when he looked at me. He saw me as someone to help him manage the girl.

"I couldn't leave the palace. Every night, I stood in front of my apple tree and stared out at the forest. I dreamed of running away like I had planned to with Daniel. I was always running. Then suddenly, I couldn't run anymore. I had no choice."

Emma started to feel sympathetic as she rested against the back of the cage.

"The things the King expected of me," Regina looked off into the distance as she sadly remembered the evenings spent with the older man. "I had to do many things with him to keep him happy. I didn't want to, but it was my duty as his wife. He was much older than me and I didn't love him. It made everything I did with him feel that much more wrong. I hardly slept through the night the first three years.

"After a while, I got used to the knots twisted up in my stomach from the constant sickness brought on by the nights with him. I barely tried to hide my unhappiness by then. I was too tired to pretend. It was then that I started to plan my escape. You may not agree with what I did, but it was the only way."

Emma gulped, though she didn't fear what Regina had to say. She knew the story wouldn't have a happy ending. How could the Evil Queen be happy with a title like that let alone while using her to get revenge on Snow White.

"Just before Snow turned twelve, I had her father killed. A genie fell in love with me and I used him to get to the King."

Emma's jaw dropped.

Regina noticed.

"I thought she would have told you that," Regina said.

"She told me you had a hand in his death, but she told me nothing of the genie."

"She probably didn't know that detail. I had kept our relationship a secret until the King read my diary and found my heart had been stolen by another man. He sought the help of his friend, the genie, to find the man responsible all the while I was convincing the genie I could never leave the palace since the King found my diary. That I couldn't run away with him because of it.

"The genie offered to help me get rid of the King and I figured out a way to frame him for the murder."

"He was bit by a snake," Emma said as she remembered the story her mother had told her. "One bite kills its victims instantly. Poison."

Regina nodded.

"The snake came from the genie's native land and the genie was the one to unleash the snake on the King."

Emma shook her head.

"The things I've done," Regina started. "Not only what I've just told you, but what I have done after that. You _should _fear me, dear. There is nothing I have not and will not do to be happy."

"Would you kill me," Emma asked after she took a moment to look over the Evil Queen.

"If there was a chance I could be happy. Yes," she softly admitted after a moment of pause.

Emma took a deep breath and looked down at the floor.

"And I will not hesitate to kill your mother for the same reason," Regina added as she walked toward her closet.

She worked her way out of her dress behind the cover of the wall while Emma slunk to the floor and sat.

"Please don't kill her," Emma softly requested.

"Why not," Regina started as she removed the clip from her hair and grabbed a pair of sleepwear. "If I can be happy with her out of the way, what would stop me from killing her?"

"Me."

"How would you stop me?"

"Whatever it takes. She's my mother. I won't let you take her from me."

Regina sighed as she stepped out of the closet, only half dressed in undergarments.

"You would make a deal with the devil to save her?"

"You being the devil? Yes."

"What shall you give me for her life."

"Myself. That seems to be what you want. You wish to bed me, do you not?"

"Maybe I do," Regina replied as she slipped into a sleep shirt.

"Then take me. I will give myself to you in exchange for my mother's life as well as for the rest of the Kingdom's safety."

"Just the once for all those people, dear. I might want to bed you, but I hardly think you're worth that much."

"No. Not just the once. I'm already your slave. Why not make me your pet?"

Regina flashed a smirk that disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

"No."

"No?"

"No," Regina repeated with more sass as she walked over to her bed.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I said 'no'," Regina said as she slid under the sheets.

"That's not an answer."

"You must not be as well educated as I thought you were. No is an answer."

"It doesn't explain why."

"At least you know the difference," Regina quipped with a small smirk.

"So why will you not except my offer," Emma asked as she ignored Regina's insult.

"I don't think you need to know."

"That's not fair! I made you an offer."

"Which I denied. Goodnight, Emma."

Regina magically blew out the candle by the door.

Emma balled up her fists and shot to her feet. She stepped up to the front wall of the cage.

"When they come to fight you're going to kill her, aren't you," Emma angrily asked.

"I do believe that would make me happy."

"I won't let you get away with this."

"There's nothing you can do from that cage, my dear."

Emma started to feel her blood boiling as rage began to surface inside her.

She yelled and took a step back before charging the bars. She flung her hands out in front of her like Regina often did when she used her magic and a gold light filled the room.

Regina stared in awe as she witnessed Emma burst through the bars and head straight for her in the bed. She raised a hand and flew Emma across the room.

Emma rolled over a few times on impact with the ground as Regina stood.

Regina took a step toward Emma and threw a hand up behind to her to relight the candle she had extinguished.

The flame flickered as Emma got to her feet. She turned to Regina as gold sparks danced in her once green eyes. She looked down at her hands with a shocked expression.

Regina looked at the blonde with wonder, her lips parted as she felt the power emanating from the younger woman.

Emma collected herself when she looked at Regina and flung out her arms. She magically pushed Regina against the wall. She held the brunette there as she crossed the room.

Regina's eyes flashed purple as she fought the electric gold bindings Emma had secured around her wrists, waist, and ankles.

Purple smoke started to fill the room from the floor and rose to the ceiling as she struggled.

Emma didn't know what had come over her, but she felt the power within her, the strength to fight for her family.

"Then let me make myself clear," Emma growled. "I will stop at nothing to protect the people I love."

Regina threw herself forward with a grunt and broke free from Emma's magic restraints. She lunged at the blonde and tackled her to the ground.

"You can use magic," Regina panted as she straddled the blonde.

Emma bucked her hips and wriggled left and right beneath Regina.

"Whatever it is, I'm not gonna stop until I protect them from you," she said through gritted teeth as she continued to struggle.

The gold in her eyes glowed and an unseen force between them tried to push Regina off her.

Regina held strong and fought it with a grunt and pushed back with her own magic. She grounded Emma into the floor and subconsciously moved against Emma's hips to keep the blonde beneath her.

Emma clawed at Regina's shirt and pulled her close. She bucked her hips again and rolled Regina onto her back.

Regina grabbed the sleeve of Emma's dress and pulled as she landed on her back. The material ripped and loosened but didn't break. She let go and the sleeve fell loosely against her cut bicep.

Emma raised her fist and brought it down in an attempt to punch Regina, but the Evil Queen stopped her hand mid-swing and latched on to the neckline of Emma's dress.

She yanked it down and revealed Emma's breasts as she slid a knee between Emma's thighs.

She continued to grasp Emma's dress as she kneed Emma's center and pushed the younger woman up above her.

Regina's face ended up between Emma's legs and gripped the Princess' hips. She rolled Emma onto her back again as the sparks in Emma's eyes started to fade.

Regina unintentionally spread Emma's legs as she pushed down and outward on the woman's inner thighs.

Emma sat up on her elbows and Regina moved her hands from her inner thighs to her outer.

Regina yanked Emma toward her and caused the blonde to fall onto her back, her sex pressed up against Regina's thighs as her dress bunched up at her hips.

Emma hissed at the scrapes on her forearms caused from the rough movement as Regina leaned over her.

"You're strong, but I'm stronger, dear," Regina slowly said as her flickered purple.

Emma reached out and grabbed Regina's hair. Before she could yank her aside by it, Regina expelled more of her magic and froze the blonde's hand in her hair, paralyzed only in the one arm.

Regina swooped in and bit above Emma's chest, just below her collarbone.

Emma yelped as Regina sunk her teeth in and squirmed beneath the brunette. She brought her free hand to Regina's neck and pressed her thumb into the Evil Queen's windpipe.

Regina quickly released Emma magically as well as with her teeth and coughed as she pulled away from the Princess' body.

Emma let her hand slip as the gold sparks returned to her eyes. She held out her hand and instantly sent Regina flying across the room.

Regina crashed into the wall by the cage she'd made for Emma and took a few deep breaths to recover from her near strangling.

Regina's eyes flashed purple again before they glowed, her attention drawn to Emma's exposed chest. She bit her bottom lip then looked into Emma's gold eyes.

"Let me go," Regina calmly said.

"Not without a guarantee that the Kingdom is safe."

Regina grinned then chuckled.

"I don't guarantee anything but pain and suffering."

Emma walked up to her and magically held her still as she punched Regina in the stomach.

Regina groaned and doubled over as far as she could under Emma's hold. She slowly straightened herself up and stared Emma down.

The amount of purple smoke in the room increased as her magic built up inside her. She focused solely on Emma's eyes as she tried hard to see the green beneath gold sparks.

She began to pant as her body temperature rose. Her eyes pulsed purple a few times then sparked again as she kept her gaze directed at Emma.

Emma felt the magnetic pull from before and suddenly felt weak. The gold sparks in her eyes flashed like a strobe light from gold to green until green replaced gold. She fell to her knees and looked down at the ground. She released Regina and tried to control her breathing as she bent over onto all fours in defeat.

"I told you, dear," Regina said as she tried to catch her breath. "I'm stronger."

Emma started to shake.

Regina crouched down and hooked a finger under Emma's chin. She forced the blonde to look at her.

"Obey me and I won't kill her," Regina said.

"But that's not a guarantee, is it."

"It's a promise," the brunette answered as she reached down and pulled up Emma's dress to cover her breasts.

Regina stood and walked over to her closet.

Emma took a few moments to control her breathing.

"Obey you how," she asked Regina.

"Don't fight me and don't push me. Testing my patience will get you nowhere," Regina replied as she stopped in front of Emma with a pair of sleepwear.

She offered the clothes to Emma.

"Make yourself comfortable. This war will be long, but you have my word that as long as you do what I say, no real harm will come to your family."

"So...am I your pet now?"

"No. I wouldn't call it that anyway."

"Then what am I?"

"Important and let's leave it at that."

Regina waved her hand at the cage and reconstructed it. Purple lightning bolts shot up the length of the cage until they all met in the center of the outer top of the cage. They disappeared and the cage looked as it had before Emma barreled through it.

"Back in the cage," Regina ordered as she pointed at the open and waiting cage.

Emma glared up at Regina.

"Tell me again how I'm not your pet," Emma mumbled as she stood, borrowed clothes still in hand.

"Important," Regina corrected.

Emma stepped inside the cage and turned to watch Regina manually close it.

Still close enough to the bars, Regina reached out and took Emma's hand in hers. She touched the lock on the cage with her free hand and relaxed.

She felt the magic course through Emma and herself, what was left in them at that point, and used it to seal the lock.

Emma quickly felt drained as her eyes sleepily started to close.

Regina let go of Emma's hand and fell forward against the cage. She grabbed one of the bars to steady herself as Emma collapsed onto the floor.

Emma laid on her side facing outward toward Regina and fought to keep her eyes open.

"Don't fight it," Regina said as she gently pushed off the cage. "Go to sleep. The more rest you get, the quicker your strength will return."

Regina turned and went to the candle. She blew it out then returned to her bed. She slid under the covers and closed her eyes.

"I can't," Emma softy said.

"What," Regina asked, confused though she made no effort to move.

"I can't sleep."

"Yes, you can. Just close your eyes and you'll feel it."

Emma rolled onto her back and shook her head.

"I can't."

Regina opened her eyes and pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Why not?"

"I'm cold and shaking. Everything hurts and my head is spinning. What's happening to me?"

Regina sighed and got out of bed. She went over to the cage and used her faint amount of magic to unlock it.

She stepped inside then locked the cage again. She waved her hand over Emma's body and magically changed the blonde into the sleepwear she'd given her. The dress reappeared, folded on the edge of her bed on the other side of the bars.

Regina eased herself onto the floor of the cage and laid next to Emma.

"What are you doing," Emma asked.

"Against better judgment," Regina started as she took Emma's hand in hers. "Helping you."

She closed her eyes and summoned the rest of the magic she had left to the surface. She channeled it into the hand laced with Emma's and gave it to the Princess.

Emma softly gasped and closed her eyes as she felt the transfer.

Regina parted her lips as she calmed Emma with her magic. She gave all she could until purple sparks shocked their intertwined hands.

Regina grimaced and let go of Emma's hand.

"Better," Regina asked as she turned to Emma.

"What did you do to me," Emma calmly asked.

"Gave you the rest of my strength."

"So...what I did..._was_ magic?"

"Yes."

"Why was I so weak?"

"You drained yourself."

"How?"

"You used too much magic for your first time. That was your first time using magic, am I right?"

"You are."

"Use your magic carefully. The more you use without practice, the quicker you wear out like tonight."

"Are you gonna teach me?"

"Teach you magic?"

"Mhmm."

"I shouldn't have helped you by giving you my strength in the first place."

"Then why did you?"

Regina rested a hand on her own stomach and struggled to stay awake to answer Emma's questions.

"To help you sleep."

"Why do you want me to sleep? You said that's how I recover, right? How I get strong again?"

"You have magic for a reason. You're going to need it later and, though I have no idea why you would need it, I'm not going to leave you defenseless unless it's against me."

"Then teach me. Help me use magic."

Regina started to drift off.

"Regina?"

Emma looked to Regina.

"Regina, please teach me."

Regina forced her eyes open and locked them with Emma's. She stared into those familiar green eyes, the eyes that put her in a trance the night Emma was born.

"Okay," Regina agreed before she slowly closed her eyes.

"Thank you," Emma quietly said.

"Don't make me regret my decision," Regina mumbled as sleep started to take her over.

Emma smiled at Regina as she watched the brunette drift off to sleep before she looked up at the ceiling, closed her eyes, and did the same.

* * *

_**Leave a review and let me know what's going on in those heads of yours. Did you like it? **_

_**Thanks for reading! I hope you keep following along with me. :D**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I was going to make this longer, but I figured where the chapter ends is a good stopping point. It's more like a two parter.**_

_**Enjoy. :)**_

* * *

Emma woke up with a small headache and tense muscles. She softly grunted as she sat up on her elbows then looked down at the sleeping body beside her.

She furrowed her brow as she stared quizzically at Regina. She knew she didn't want to believe Regina was the Evil Queen, but she was. What confused her was the older woman's behavior. If she was so evil, why did Regina help her the previous night? Why would she promise not to kill her mother after the brunette already admitted her willingness to kill her if it meant she could be happy?

Emma sighed and started to look at Regina differently. The stories she'd heard from her mother compared to what Regina had told her, she felt for the woman next to her. She started to sympathize.

As the brunette slept, her chest rose and fell at a steady pace. She seemed peaceful as she rested, but there was still a darkness to her that Emma couldn't deny.

Emma sat up completely and looked from Regina to the cage door. She slowly stood and looked back at Regina to make sure she hadn't started to wake.

Regina's eyes were still closed and her breathing wasn't shallow. It was deep and slow.

Emma bit her bottom lip and turned to the lock. She opened up her stance to ensure herself some balance and awkwardly held out her hands. She tried to remember how Regina had locked and unlocked the cage with her magic and hoped she could use her own to free herself.

She reached through the bars and touched the lock. She took a deep breath and slowly released it as she tried to will her magic to work. Unfortunately, she felt nothing. She didn't know how magic worked. The only times she used magic happened without her realizing it.

She dropped her hands and sighed in defeat. She ran a hand through her hair and looked around the room on the other side of the cage walls. She grabbed the bars and tightened her grip as she tried to accept herself as a prisoner. The trouble with that was how hard she tried to free herself from the palace to live freely only to end up stuck in a smaller space as yet another captive, though of a different kind.

_The grass is always greener, _she thought.

"I told you the only way out is me," Regina spoke up and startled Emma.

Emma jumped and turned to Regina.

"Then can you let me out?"

"That depends on you, dear. Will you run way if I let you go?"

"We made a deal, right? You teach me magic and I stay put."

"Can I trust you to honor that agreement?"

"When we left the party, I told you where we were going would make you happy and it was a promise. Were you happy?"

Regina looked over the younger woman for a moment before she stepped closer to Emma, the space thinning between them. She stopped when their lips were inches away. She stared into green eyes for what seemed like a lifetime then reached around the blonde.

Emma gasped as she backed herself against the cage wall and locked eyes with the Queen.

Regina touched the lock, one hand on a bar at Emma's side to brace herself while the two of them breathed the same air. She didn't break eye contact as her eyes flashed purple for a fleeting moment. She magically unlocked the cage then removed her hand from the bar and pulled Emma flush against her, her hand on the blonde's lower back.

Regina pushed open the door and slowly released her hold on the Princess.

"Thank you," Emma said after a few seconds.

She took a few steps back toward the bed, her eyes never leaving Regina's.

"Your parents should have the Kingdom rallied and on their way by the evening. I assume they will have guards and a militia prepared to get you back."

"Probably," Emma muttered as she looked down at the floor.

Regina furrowed her brow in confusion as she looked over the younger woman.

"Why does that seem to bother you?"

Emma met Regina's eyes again, her lips parted, jaw slightly slack.

"What?"

"Your parents. You seem upset that they would have everyone fight for you. Most people aren't so lucky to have people care for them like that."

"I love them and I love that everyone might be willing to save me, but I don't like it when they treat me like a child. They think I can't handle myself or figure my way out of situations."

"You haven't gotten out of this one."

"But am I truly in danger right now?"

"Snow has seen the darkest side of me, dear. Forgive her if she's more cautious and 'overbearing' with the fact that you're here with me."

Emma sighed.

"If the war is starting then you should teach me magic while you still can. I can imagine soon you'll be focused on saving your own skin."

"Nonsense, dear. I'm great at multitasking. You'll learn magic soon enough, but if you're itching for your first lesson I guess we could start now."

"Really?"

Regina nodded.

"Tell me how you felt last night."

"What do you mean? When I used magic?"

"Yes. What were you feeling when you fought me?"

"Anger."

"What else."

"I don't know."

Regina shook her head.

"Dig deeper. I can't help you if you won't even try."

"How am I supposed to know what I was feeling besides anger? You were threatening my family! I had to do something."

Regina raised her eyebrows.

"There. That's what triggered it."

"What?"

"I threatened your family and you fought back. You were _protecting _them."

Emma furrowed her brow and looked down as she slowly sat on the edge of the bed, near her dress.

"What about the barrier," Regina asked as she moved the dress out of the way and sat in its place.

"What about it?"

"You couldn't have gotten past it without using magic. How did you feel when you broke through it?"

"Trapped. Angry. Determined."

"What did you want?"

"To be free."

"Anything else?"

"No," Emma thought about it. "Well...there was that feeling."

"Go on."

"That pull. I felt drawn to something out here, away from my family's palace. I felt it and suddenly, I'd gotten through."

Regina looked puzzled. She didn't know how to interpret that.

"Whenever you figure out that pull, that's another trigger. Keep that in mind, okay?"

Emma nodded.

"So," Regina started. "Already what have you learned about magic?"

"In the two minutes we've spent _talking _about magic?"

"Yes. There's a lesson to be learned from our conversation."

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do. Think! What have I asked you?"

"You've asked what I felt."

"And what has that taught you?"

"Give the Queen a better answer other than angry? She wants to dig deeper."

Regina rolled her eyes.

"I don't have to teach you magic, you know. I can put you back in that cage as fast as I freed you too," Regina flatly informed the blonde.

"I haven't learned anything about magic!"

"Apparently you need a learning curve. Magic is about feeling. You feel magic, you don't think it. Well, unless you're conjuring something. Then you have to think about what you want, but you won't get it unless you know why you want it. You have to feel it."

"Is that the end of the lesson?"

"You have to understand the rules of magic and how it works before you can put it to use, Emma. Don't test my patience."

"Sorry. I'm just not much of a listener. I don't sit back and wait. I _do_ things. I take action."

"Yes, well, that will have to change if you want me to teach you anything. Don't make the same mistake I did."

"Which is?"

"I listened to a monster and the monster became me."

"You really think you're a monster?"

"What else could I be, dear? The lives I've destroyed, the way my father looked at me, the similarities between my mother and I? Yes, I'm a monster. Not the worst in the land, but a cruel and vicious one nonetheless."

Emma shook her head and paused for a moment.

"Will you show me how to move things," she asked as she changed the subject.

Regina stared at Emma for a long moment before she took the blonde's hands in her own. She stood and brought Emma's hands with her.

Emma followed the Queen's lead and rose to her feet.

Regina moved Emma in front of her, never letting go of her hands except when she turned Emma's back to her.

"I want you to focus on that mirror," Regina said from behind the Princess. "I want you to remember the way you felt last night. Imagine the mirror is me. I'm fighting your father and used magic to snap his neck."

Emma closed her eyes as her blood started to boil.

"What do you feel?"

Emma shook her head as she tried to concentrate.

"Come on, Emma. I killed your father right in front of you. What are you going to do," Regina raised her voice as she asked.

She shook Emma's wrists for emphasis.

"No. You're not going to hurt them," Emma said as she kept her eyes closed.

Regina let go of Emma's hands and walked around her until she stood square in front of the blonde.

"Open your eyes," she commanded.

"You said you wouldn't hurt them," Emma said as she refused to obey Regina's order.

"Open your eyes, Emma! Do it!"

Emma took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She stared straight into brown orbs as Regina stood, ready for a fight.

"It's your life or mine," Regina started. "Who gets to live?"

"It's not my place to choose who lives or dies," Emma told her.

Regina sighed and gritted her teeth. She stepped closer to Emma and pushed the blonde to the ground without using magic.

"What are you feeling, Emma?"

"Stop!"

Regina pounced. She pinned Emma to the ground and brought her hand to the blonde's neck.

"Protect yourself."

"Get off!"

Regina shook her head.

"Make me."

Emma wriggled beneath her.

"With magic," Regina barked. "Push me away! It's you or me, Emma. Who's it going to to be?"

Regina began to strangle the blonde.

"I know you have it in you," Regina softly said in a low tone.

Her dark eyes stared straight into Emma's as the Princess struggled under her.

"Regina...p-please...s-stop," Emma begged.

"Hurt me," Regina demanded. "If I kill you, there's nothing stopping me from killing your parents."

"Y-ou...promised..."

"But you'll be dead. I don't owe you anything if you're dead," Regina said as she leaned in.

"I...c-can't. Ple-"

Emma could barely say another word.

Regina looked into desperate, pleading eyes for a moment before she sighed. She released Emma and allowed the girl to breath.

Emma coughed under her and tried to sit up.

"Lay down," Regina told her as she eased the blonde onto her back. "You're going to need a minute."

"I don't want to learn like this," Emma said before she violently coughed again.

"I can't teach you any other way. You bury your emotions deep inside, but you need to be bothered. You need to be vulnerable."

"I won't."

"Then you'll never be able to use magic on command. No one will take advantage of your vulnerability if you're able to use magic. So let yourself feel something."

Emma blew out a sigh.

"I feel frustrated."

"Good. That's a start. But your power seems to be routed in protecting people. Frustration won't help you access your magic if that's as far as you allow yourself to feel."

"How am I supposed to feel anything more than frustrated when I'mfrustrated?!"

"Ask yourself _why _you feel that way."

Emma bitterly stared up at the brunette, lips pursed as she lay flat on the ground beneath the Queen.

"Ready to try again," Regina asked.

Emma continued to stare at the woman, even as Regina stood and offered the blonde a hand. She thought it over for a few seconds before she accepted Regina's hand and allowed the brunette to help her to her feet.

She brushed off her borrowed sleepwear and took a deep breath.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Focus on the mirror again."

Emma relaxed and looked at the mirror.

"Now what?"

"Hold my hand."

"What?"

"Just do it."

Emma rolled her eyes and laced her fingers with Regina's, her right hand in Regina's left.

"I want you to feel this."

"Feel what," Emma asked before warmth rushed through her arm, originating from their intertwined hands.

Emma parted her lips and slowly closed her eyes.

"Concentrate," Regina said. "What do you feel?"

Emma gulped as she squeezed Regina's hand. In doing so, a bolt of magic shot through her arm that she knew came from Regina. Though she couldn't tell if it was done willingly.

"Pain," Emma answered. "I feel sadness and pain. A tragic suffering."

"And now," Regina asked as she looked down at the floor beneath her with a frown.

"Hurt. Anger. ...Hate."

Emma tensed as the feelings ran from Regina's hand to hers. She felt it creep into her heart and suddenly, she sympathized again. Not because of something Regina had said, but because of the feelings Regina shared with her.

"There's a rage. Inside, you..." Emma trailed off and shook her head.

She opened her eyes and looked at the mirror.

"You don't just hate my mother, do you," Emma asked, though it was more of a statement, as tears formed in her eyes.

"This is how I feel. _This_ is how I use magic," Regina said as she tried not to cry herself.

She looked at Emma who paid full attention to the mirror. She threw out her right arm and the mirror smashed.

Emma clutched at her heart as she felt a surge of sadness and anger take over her entire being.

Regina broke their hold and regained her composure.

"I don't want to feel like that. I don't want to use my magic like that. It felt dark," Emma breathed out.

"That's because it's dark magic. Find your strength and use that. I already told you...your power comes from protecting people."

"And if I use it to protect people it's not dark magic?"

"No. It's light. The intention of magic is what makes it light or dark."

"You're not going to teach me dark magic, are you?"

"No, dear. Though that's entirely up to you. I said I'd teach you magic and if that's what you want to learn-"

"No! Light magic. I want to learn that."

"As you wish, but do bear in mind that I myself use dark magic. It will be hard for me to teach you light, but I will do my best to help."

"Thank you. That is all I ask."

Emma frowned.

"Dear?"

Regina looked over Emma's features in an attempt to determine the problem.

Emma locked eyes with her.

"What's wrong," Regina asked.

"Nothing. It's just... If you're so evil, why are you holding up your end of the deal? You could refuse to teach me magic. You could use your own against me any time you like, any way you like. And yet, you genuinely seem to want to help me."

"I have my reasons."

"Would you care to share them...Your Majesty," Emma asked as she closed some of the space between them.

Desire flickered in Regina's eyes at how Emma addressed her. She quickly masked it with a look of almost boredom before she responded.

"No, I don't care."

Emma puffed out a soft, frustrated sigh.

"As you said, I _am_ evil. Don't forget that. You'll never be disappointed if you remember that."

Emma confidently smirked as she tried to find another way to see Regina's other side, the one that had told her the story about Daniel.

"Are you afraid to disappoint me?"

"Not in the slightest," Regina grinned in reply.

She knew what Emma was trying to do. She wasn't human. She was a beast. She wouldn't offer up any further indication she was capable of real emotions. She no longer had them. Not since Daniel.

Emma frowned.

"You may have everyone else fooled," the blonde started. "But I know there's more to your story than what people have said, what you'll have me believe. I doubt my mother knew you were unhappy."

"How could she know? She was just a girl. I didn't want to hurt her then. I didn't tell her what happened to Daniel, what happened because of her. I spared her feelings. She was young. It wasn't until I got her to eat a poison apple that I told her."

"My mother said you tried to keep her and my father apart."

"Indeed I did," Regina started with a wicked grin, but finished with a bitter tone. "But the two idiots kept 'finding' each other."

"True love conquers all," Emma said.

"It doesn't conquer everything, Princess. Maybe one day I'll feed you to my mother like a steak to a dog. Then we'll see if you still believe that."

"The day she killed Daniel," Emma started, which clearly upset Regina. "That's the day you stopped believing in true love...isn't it."

"You do _not _have the right to say his name. If you say it again, I'll make you hurt in the worst ways. You'll wish I'd just kill you so you don't have to suffer anymore."

Emma looked down at Regina's hands. They crackled with purple magic.

"I see," Emma said before she looked into Regina's eyes again. "I shall never say his name in your presence again unless given permission."

"You will _never _be given permission."

"As you wish, my Queen."

Regina's magic faded and the anger started to leave her body, or at least fall from the surface and bury itself deep within her.

Emma smiled.

Regina didn't know what Emma was so happy about, but she didn't bother to ask.

"Are you ready to continue," Regina asked.

"Yes. Um, but...could I get dressed first?"

Regina rolled her eyes. She waved her hand over Emma's body, her hand close to her own chest, and magically changed both of them.

Regina dressed herself in black leather pants and matching lacy corset. Her breasts were accentuated with the low cut of the corset that curved to her shape while the not-too-thick straps clung to her silky smooth shoulders. It was complete with a black, leather choker and a silver necklace in the shape of three needles that drew attention to her breasts. She hadn't made the effort to cover up with even her usual open coat.

Emma, however, looked more angelic and innocent. Regina hadn't dressed her in what she wore the night of the ball, but instead in a flowing, cream colored gown that covered her modestly. She looked like rays of sunlight bathed her in a daylight glow no matter which way she turned or where she went. The neckline cut in a V-shape and exposed a tempting portion of skin between her supple breasts. It was the only part of Emma's body that was truly revealed aside from the curves of Emma's hips as the dress was tight from her shoulder sleeves to her waist then casually fanned out around her legs.

Emma looked down and took in her new attire. She touched the silky fabric and frowned as she looked at Regina.

"Really? Why not just put me in a bright white dress and scribe 'virgin' on my forehead with a quill."

"That can be arranged," Regina said to shut her up.

It worked.

"I don't think it screams virgin, if that's why you don't like the dress. Though, I doubt that matters since you are a virgin. Isn't that what you told me?"

"It is, but that doesn't mean I want everyone to know it."

"I think you look lovely, dear."

"I could wear a pirate hat and nothing else and you would probably think I look lovely."

"Don't give me ideas, my sweet."

"Did you really just call me that?"

Regina grinned.

"Thought I'd give it a try. Much like I want to do with that pirate hat."

"Forget it. Never going to happen. And you'll never see me so exposed."

"Oh, haven't I already, Princess?"

Emma furrowed her brow.

"Last night. I didn't pay much attention then, I was too busy fighting you, but I unintentionally pulled down your dress. I saw your breasts. Not in full detail, of course, but it was enough."

Emma looked down at her chest then back at Regina when the brunette continued.

"And before that, though you were wrapped in your blanket, I saw you bare as a newborn. Then again, you were a newborn then."

"Well, that one doesn't count. I was a baby. And you said it yourself, I was wrapped in a blanket."

"But not last night."

"You were busy fighting me."

"I wonder if I should make a bet with you."

"About what?"

"During this war, how soon I'll expose you."

"It would be a foolish bet. I will never undress for you and using magic would be cheating."

"Really," Regina asked as she raised an eyebrow with intrigue. "And what kind of rules are those if you wish not to make a bet?"

"They aren't for the bet that I refuse to make with you. They are for you to follow while I'm to remain here."

"You expect me to listen to you?"

"You've done what I have asked so far. If I have to beg for you to agree, I will."

"You won't have to beg. You are much more attractive when you fight back."

"You want to challenge me on this?"

Regina grinned.

"Magically. Yes."

"You've taught me nothing about magic."

"Not nothing! How ungrateful are you, you little brat. I've taught you to rely on your emotions to access your power and I've told you it comes from protecting people."

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine. You've taught me _about _magic, but you have not taught me how to use it. It would be an unfair fight."

"Would it? You can't know that until you try."

"Fine. What shall we fight for?"

"If I win..." Regina trailed off to think what she should require of the younger woman. "You give me a large dose of your magic...like I gave you mine last night."

"What could that possibly do for you?"

"A lot, dear. Magic is not something to regard lightly."

"And if I win?"

"Name your price."

"You let me roam the palace."

"For a day?"

"Every day. I don't like to be confined as you choose to have me."

"I've let you out of the cage. Is that not enough?"

"Of course it's not enough. I don't want to be trapped in your bedroom all day and all night."

Regina cocked her head to the side as she thought it over.

"Fine, but I'll have guards posted outside the palace to ensure you don't escape. If you win, you'll be allowed to explore the palace, but you will not leave it under any circumstances if I am not with you."

Emma smiled.

"You have a deal, but also know that if I win you will not use magic to undress me."

"That is _why _we'll fight in the first place, is it not?"

"Right."

"Now...show me what you can do," Regina said before she grinned and sent Emma across the room with a flick of the wrist.

* * *

_**Just a little teaser of the next magical encounter between the two. Please don't forget to review. Thanks for reading and following, all the favorites, and of course you're much appreciated reviews.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Finally, I have completed this chapter. I've actually been working on this since the last update, but due to film projects for school I wasn't able to finish it until now. In two weeks, expect more from me for this story as well as _Settling the Score_. That's when my summer break hits and for 3 glorious weeks, I'll try to get out as much as possible. Enjoy! :)  
**

* * *

Emma hit the wall with a thud as the air immediately left her lungs. She took a quick second to recover before she frustratedly growled and clenched her fists.

"Why do you always _do that_," Emma angrily asked as Regina held her in place.

"Do what, dear," Regina asked as she proudly grinned.

"Surprise me with your magic," Emma answered as she wriggled between Regina's magical hold and the wall.

Regina chuckled.

"If you want to learn magic, you have to learn that no one's going to wait for you to be ready," Regina told her. "Best advice I can give you..."

Regina strutted toward Emma before she continued.

"Always expect people to hurt you, with or without magic."

Emma sighed as she relaxed her muscles in defeat.

"Giving up so easily," Regina asked as she stopped a few feet away from the princess.

Emma steadied her breathing and tried to focus.

"I thought you were a fighter," Regina added.

Emma took a deep breath and tried to feel something other than the slight rage she felt boiling up inside her.

"Poor, sweet Emma. Most people aren't going to bait you in battle. They'll just raise their swords or use their magic and they won't stop until you're broken or dead. Would you like me to ease you into all this? To continue to bait you, make you angry so you'll use your magic?"

"So far you're doing a great job," Emma said through gritted teeth as she dug deeper into her emotions.

"You'd better hurry, dear. I'm growing quite bored of this."

"Are you giving me a time limit," Emma asked she quickly looked up and glared at Regina.

Her eyes flashed a gold spark that disappeared in an instant. Regina had noticed and grinned after it faded.

"Yes. If you don't fight back in the next minute, we're done and you lose."

Emma clenched her fists.

"Why are you making me angry? Isn't that part of dark magic?"

"How else would you like me to teach you? Anger is the easiest emotion to feel. I figured it would help you learn faster."

"I told you I didn't want to feel how you do when you use magic."

Regina sighed.

"It won't always be this way," she sternly reassured her. "Once you learn magic, you'll learn how to control it. I'm using magic right now and I'm not angry."

"No. You're enjoying this."

"Not right now I'm not," Regina wickedly smirked as she raised a suggestive eyebrow. "As I've said before, I like it better when you fight."

Regina waved her hand across the room and magically threw Emma into the far wall behind herself.

Emma groaned when she hit the wall and immediately tensed.

Regina hadn't trapped her against it like she'd done before, though. Instead, the Queen only threw her against it and let the blonde drop to the ground seconds after impact.

Emma scrunched up her face in discomfort at the aching pain Regina had caused in her back, but quickly recovered. She met Regina's gaze and looked a little lost.

Regina noticed and made no move to attack again.

"How do I...you know, do that to you?"

"You've done it before, dear. Just focus on what you feel and what you want to do. The rest should come naturally."

Emma sighed.

"It doesn't feel natural to me."

Regina took a moment to look over Emma's defeated demeanor.

"Watch my hands," Regina calmly commanded.

Emma furrowed her brow in confusion, but looked from brown eyes to graceful hands.

Regina waited until Emma's eyes focused on her hands before she slowly waved one in front of her chest. She lifted Emma off the ground and made her hover.

Emma nearly gasped as her feet dangled beneath her. She looked over her floating form in surprise for a few seconds before she locked eyes with Regina again.

"Um, this is great, but can you put me down now?"

Regina grinned.

"I've taught you the basic principles of magic, now show me what you know and what you feel."

Emma stared innocently at Regina for a few moments. Her eyes never left the brunette's as she tried to feel something. She took her time and tried to remember how it felt when she'd created an opening in the barrier.

"Tick tock, my dear. I'm getting bored."

Emma trained her focus on Regina as the brunette broke their eye contact. She frowned until she got that feeling. It was like a kick to the ribs as the magnetic pull returned. It was what she felt when she broke though the barrier and it was what she felt at the masquerade ball before she ran into Regina.

Gold sparks consumed her green eyes as she waited for Regina to look at her again.

Regina felt a shiver rush down her spine and met Emma's gaze. She smirked, satisfied as Emma's eyes glowed.

Emma threw out her arms and magically pushed Regina onto the ground. When the older woman's back hit the floor, she fell from mid-air and landed on her feet though not too gracefully. She pushed of the floor and stood up straight before she hurried to Regina. When she reached the Queen, she noticed the dark grin on the woman's face.

"Good girl," Regina purred seconds before she waved her hand and created magical bindings around Emma's wrists.

"Let's see what you can do without your hands," Regina said as she got to her feet.

"This is definitely not a fair fight," Emma muttered.

Regina wickedly chuckled.

"Of course it's not, dear. If I'm to teach you, I think I should be getting something out of it."

"My companionship. That was the agreement."

"Yes, but companionship is boring and I don't like to be bored. I waited twenty-eight years for this. I want to have some fun."

Regina stood toe to toe with Emma and kept their eyes locked.

"_Can_ I use magic without my hands," Emma sheepishly asked, afraid of sounding so novice and innocent.

A devious grin spread across Regina's face as a devilish gleam flashed in brown eyes.

"Allow me to demonstrate," Regina said in a sultry tone.

Emma gulped seconds before Regina's eyes glowed purple. She felt the heated gaze burn right through her.

Regina sent what could only be described as a shock wave from her eyes to Emma's as she brought the blonde to her knees. Her gaze followed Emma to the floor before she reached out and stroked Emma's cheek with the back of her index and middle finger.

Emma reflected on her new position and realization quickly dawned on her.

"Kneeling before the Queen," Emma started. "Cute."

"Your turn, Princess" Regina continued to grin even as the purple faded from her eyes.

Regina dropped her hand to her side and waited for Emma to act.

Emma stared up at Regina for a few seconds before she tried to stand.

Regina's eyes glowed again as she forced Emma back onto her knees.

"I like where you are now, dear. You think I'd give that up so easily?"

Emma smirked as her eyes started to glow gold.

"Of course not."

The purple in Regina's eyes darkened, though not by the brunette's request. Her jaw dropped slightly as she felt herself being magically controlled.

"Cage," Emma said seconds before she enveloped Regina in a puff of purple smoke. She sent Regina into the cage as she got onto her feet.

She smiled as she watched Regina reappear inside the four barred walls in another purple cloud. When she had Regina's attention, she made the transparent, though slightly purple, binding around her wrists glow gold like her eyes. Within seconds, the magical band burst like a popped balloon.

Regina stepped out of the open cage with a pleased expression.

"Nice work"

"Oh, I'm not done yet."

"Good," Regina purred, a sinful radiance in her eyes.

Regina threw out her hands at the same time Emma did and the two of them counter-acted each other.

They both flew back a few feet, but the force of their magic when it invisibly collided between them had weakened the others' attack.

Emma puffed out a sigh and gently shook her head as she tried to process what had happened.

Regina was the first to recover and victoriously grinned as she took a few steps toward the princess. She held her hand close to her hip, palm up, and created a fireball in it.

"Oh, sh-"

Regina flung the fireball at Emma before the blonde could finish her explicative.

Emma dove to her right and the fire ball torched the headboard of Regina's bed.

Emma stared up at Regina as she remained on the floor. She rested on her hands and her left thigh as she panted.

Regina smirked and made another fireball in the same hand. She allowed Emma's eyes to widen in fear before she hurled the ball at the blonde.

Emma flinched and raised an arm in front of her face to protect herself. She winced as she tried to brace herself for the assumed pain to come, but it never did.

Emma felt a strange sensation shoot out of her, but it wasn't until Regina spoke that she looked up to inspect the damage.

"Yes," Regina hissed in a low, almost purring, tone. "You're getting it."

Emma stared in shock and confusion as the embers of the fire trickled down to the floor on the other side of a small golden wall. She'd apparently made a tiny protective shield between her and the fireball.

Regina glided over to Emma and stopped right in front of her with a proud and wicked grin.

"That was me going easy on you. Are you ready to intensify things?"

Emma huffed out a few more shallow breaths before she replied.

"Diving out of the way of fireballs was easy?"

Regina chuckled.

"There are many other things I could do to you, but I need to know that you're ready," Regina said before she extended a hand to the princess.

Emma's eyes wandered from Regina's eyes to the older woman's outstretched hand. After a moment, she met the brunette's gaze again and took her offered hand.

"I'm ready," Emma said.

Regina gripped Emma's hand and a spark of magic tingled between them.

Emma parted her lips as her breath hitched.

Regina helped Emma to her feet by magically sweeping the younger woman off the ground.

Emma hovered a small distance above the floor before Regina gracefully set her down. Their hands never lost contact.

Regina gave Emma a moment to reel from the floating feeling, something she hadn't allowed the first time, before she pulled her hand away.

"Then let's get on with it," Regina spoke in a sultry tone.

Emma licked her lips then took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She held her hands in front of her hips, palms facing Regina, and felt the magic build up inside her. She visualized what she wanted to then flicked her wrists.

Regina flew across the room, but used her own magic to stop herself from hitting the wall. She held her hand out, her palm behind her facing the wall, and magically pushed against the object. She kept her eyes on Emma the entire time and held a devilish, almost lustful, lambency in her eyes before they flashed purple.

Emma clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides as she prepared for Regina's attack, her eyes less deer-caught-in-headlights and more embracing of the scene that unfolded before her.

Regina reached out and waved her hand toward herself. She magically caused Emma's feet to give way under her and the blonde fell onto her backside.

Emma grunted on impact, but didn't have time to react any more than that before she felt herself being dragged across the floor.

Regina slid Emma toward her with the blonde on her back. She stopped the princess before Emma could slide between her legs and stared down at the younger woman.

She flicked her fingers in almost a dismissive manner and magically bound Emma to the floor.

"What else are you ready for," Regina purred as she brought herself to her knees beside the blonde.

She brushed a stray strand of golden curls out of Emma's face then leaned in for a chaste kiss.

When their lips met, a warmth filled both women in the short amount of time they remained connected at the mouth. The kiss lasted a few seconds that nearly felt like hours.

It soothed Emma and made Regina feel a sense of safety.

Regina broke the kiss as she pulled back and sat up straight while still on her knees. She looked over Emma's soft features as the princess kept her eyes closed a moment more.

Regina felt conflicted between a smile and a frown. Part of her felt a lightness to her dark as she stared at Emma, but the other part felt sadness and disappointment of what could never be.

Emma opened her eyes and saw that Regina had settled for an unreadable, emotionless mask.

"Not that," Emma confessed with a twinge of sadness before she broke free from magic restraints.

Emma's magic worked like fire as it burned away the restraints. Just as she released herself from them, she surprised Regina by lifting her left leg and used it to push Regina onto her back.

Emma pressed her shin against Regina's ribs and nudged her to the floor beside her. She rolled herself up onto all fours at the same time and, in one swift movement, straddled the Queen.

Regina tried to flick her wrists to use magic, but Emma grabbed them with her own and pinned them above Regina's head.

"Magic only, dear," Regina tried to keep her composure.

Emma bit her bottom lip and eased her grip on Regina's wrists. She then tapped her index fingers against either wrist and slowly ran them down her forearms.

Regina stared at Emma with a puzzled expression, but didn't use the lack of restraint to her own advantage. She didn't fight Emma off of her, though she knew she probably should have.

The blonde didn't notice as she watched her fingers move across the other woman's skin. Once she reached Regina's elbows, she ran her fingers back up to the Queen's wrists. She wrapped her hands around the older woman's wrists as she had the first time.

Regina struggled to control her breathing as she looked straight at green eyes that wouldn't yet return her gaze.

Magic prickled at both of their skin that originated from Emma's hands. Like charging up a battery, the magic created blue restraints that crackled like controlled lightning bolts.

"You're tempting me," Regina said in a smoky, raspy voice.

"How can I be doing that," Emma asked as she ran her fingers down Regina's forearms again with a feather light touch.

Emma's curls rested over her breasts as she made herself comfortable on Regina's lower abdomen. She remained perfectly still on top of the Queen, no feigned innocence or teasing in her voice.

Regina clenched her jaw to keep herself from making any noises. She stared up into green eyes that stared back, an intensity in them she'd only seen through a mask when they left the masquerade together.

"You said you weren't ready," Regina stated as she tried not move.

Regina knew if she squirmed beneath Emma in the slightest, the friction between them would make it that much harder to resist the glowing blonde beauty.

"I'm not," Emma frowned.

"Then we should get back to your lesson...unless we're done for the day."

Emma looked away then around the room. She started to nervously pick at Regina's lacy corset around the ribs.

"Are we done for the day," Regina asked.

Emma looked at Regina again.

"Nobody has won yet," Emma shook her head and caused her curls to bounce on her shoulders and chest.

Regina unconvincingly fought against the magic that bound her wrists to the floor. The magic stung her, though the sensation tickled her instead of her hurt her.

"I think you're clearly the winner here."

"We both know you could get out of those," Emma said as she continued to pick at the corset.

"Grab at my corset with any more force and there won't be a corset between us."

"There wouldn't have been a corset between us before if we hadn't taken off our masks."

"My, my, princess. Are you flirting with me?"

Emma smiled.

"If I were flirting with you, you'd know," Emma leaned in a little closer for emphasis.

Regina's eyes strayed from Emma's to her breasts.

"Do tell me when you _are_ ready," Regina said as she kept her eyes on Emma's breasts.

"Ready for..._that_," Emma asked as she pulled back.

Regina's eyes slid up from Emma's breasts to her green eyes.

"Yes," Regina answered in a predatory growl.

"I don't get it," Emma furrowed her brows. "Why not just take me if you want it?"

Regina flashed a grin as her eyes flashed purple.

Emma uncontrollably fell forward. Her hands smacked against the floor just above Regina's hands. Purple bands wrapped around Emma's wrists and bound her to the floor like Regina.

The force of Regina's magic made Emma move so fast her breasts nearly popped out of her dress. Her hair cascaded around both hers and Regina's faces as her pink lips hovered over the bridge of the brunette's nose.

Regina smirked as she felt Emma's hot breath on her face, her eyes locked on Emma's.

"Would you like me to," Regina's voice had dropped an octave.

Emma stared at Regina, searching brown eyes, for a few moments before she responded.

"Would you do it if I said yes?"

Regina looked over Emma, every last dress covered inch of her, before she met the blonde's gaze again.

"No."

Emma quizzically looked at the woman beneath her.

"All the stories I've heard about the Evil Queen and you wouldn't take advantage of me," Emma disbelievingly stated.

"Well, most of those stories are true, my dear. But for clarification, no. I would not."

"You are quite the mystery, aren't you," Emma said with a smile. "May I ask why you wouldn't?"

"It seems like someone wants the dark, Evil Queen," Regina proudly grinned. "Tell me, dear. All the stories you heard...only made you want me more?"

"That's not why I'm asking. But somehow...I do find you attractive in that outfit."

"Mm. I think it would work better as a dress," Regina purred as she arched her back to adjust herself and brushed her hips against Emma's inner thighs.

Their breasts grazed and her clothing covered center briefly pressed against Emma's before she lowered herself back down to the floor, still restrained.

Emma's breath hitched, but she kept her eyes open as she stared at Regina throughout the contact.

"Maybe...if you keep me here long enough...I'll get to see that," Emma flirted.

Regina shook her head with a smile.

"You are not the good little girl I thought you would grow up to be," Regina's smile turned into a seductive smirk.

"Hmm. Would you be disappointed in me if I told you that even though I'm still a virgin that I've still done plenty of things?"

"I don't think you could ever disappoint me," Regina salaciously amused smile.

"You still haven't told me why you wouldn't take advantage of me."

"And we still haven't declared a winner of this charade."

Emma leaned in and kissed the Queen's cheek. She pulled back enough to look Regina in the eyes again.

After a split second, Regina broke her restraints.

Emma broke hers just as the brunette pushed Emma off her by rolling her body on top of the younger woman's.

Regina placed her hands on either side of Emma's head as she pinned the blonde to the floor. As she did, Emma brought her hands to Regina's hair and ran her fingers through long brunette locks.

Once Emma reached the tips of Regina's hair, she moved down to the black corset. She slowly, lightly ran her fingertips over material as she followed the curves of Regina's body.

"I wouldn't do it because you...are important."

Regina rubbed her body against Emma's as she moved down and kissed her jaw.

Emma contentedly sighed as her eyes fluttered closed. She turned her head to the side and exposed more of her skin.

Regina grinned before she gave Emma a peck on the cheek then pulled back to stare at Emma.

"I believe I just won," Regina gloated with a smirk.

Emma almost gasped as she opened her eyes and met Regina's gaze.

"Based only on the use of magic?"

Regina showed her teeth as her smirk widened.

"Would you like me to make it official? I'm sure you know as well as I do that I was going to win anyway."

"We're not stopping until I win," Emma said as she stopped her fingers just below Regina's waist.

Emma picked, or rather clawed, at Regina's corset again and drew the other woman's eyes to her hands.

Regina smirked.

"I think I'm going to wear corsets more often," Regina said as her eyes scanned over Emma's hands and up her arms until she stared straight into green pools. "You seem to like them."

Regina sat up straight as she continued to straddle Emma.

With the Queen's movement, Emma's hands fell from the corset to her own stomach.

"Waiting until you win will take more than a day. Your first magic lesson ends now."

"And _you_ win?"

"I always win," Regina said in a low tone.

Emma started to frown and looked away.

Regina noticed and continued.

"But..."

Regina waited until she had the blonde's attention again.

"I think your idea of roaming the palace is far better than what I had in mind," the Queen finished.

Emma smiled.

"I doubt that."

Regina shrugged.

"Then consider it a favor."

"Evil queens don't do favors."

"Clearly you have never met an evil queen like me."

"From what I've heard, though I don't believe everything my mother tells me, _you _don't do favors. I've only ever met one evil queen."

"If you go by titles, there is only one. Me. But you would be surprised to meet some of my friends."

"You have friends?"

Regina's jaw dropped.

"Oh, is that so hard to believe," Regina asked as she stared at Emma, a bit entertained.

"Maybe," Emma laughed a little as she spoke.

"Well, maybe I shall have you meet some of them. They would tear you apart."

"That's assuring," Emma sarcastically said.

"Aw," Regina feigned concern as she smiled. "With your magic I'm sure it wouldn't hurt as much."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"What are you complaining about anyway," Regina asked. "You get to roam the palace."

"Is there a hidden agenda behind that?"

Regina shook her head then ran her finger up Emma's stomach from her lower abdomen to her breasts.

Emma arched her back and gripped Regina's leather clad thighs.

Regina victoriously smirked.

"Weak spot, my dear," Regina asked, though she knew the answer by Emma's physical response. "Is this another?"

Regina asked her question as she brought her hand back down to Emma's lower stomach. She ran in across from hip to hip.

Emma gasped and squirmed beneath the brunette. She dug her nails into Regina's leather pants.

"No," Emma poorly lied.

Regina leaned in and purred in Emma's ear.

"I want to take this time to remind you...tell me when you're ready."

Regina sat up again and placed her hands over Emma's on her thighs.

"Until then," Regina started as she removed Emma's hands from her body. "You and I will have to resume this later."

Regina set Emma's hands on the blonde's stomach then leaned in and kissed the younger woman's neck.

"And you say _I'm_ a tease," Emma said as Regina pulled back and sat up again.

"That you are," Regina grinned as she stood.

She extended a hand to Emma and helped the princess to her feet.

Emma looked at the bed.

"Your headboard is on fire."

Regina looked over and took notice. She flicked her wrist and the fire disappeared while the scorched wood was made new.

"Are you really going to let me wander around the palace," Emma asked after a moment when Regina looked at her again.

"Yes."

"As soon as right now?"

"If you wish," Regina said as she adjusted her corset.

The two of them stood facing each other in the bedroom.

"Dinner is at sundown."

"What about my parents? You still suspect they're coming, don't you?"

"That should not keep up from a good meal," Regina grinned.

"Fine," Emma started. "I guess the first thing I'm going to find here is the dining chamber."

"Allow me to make your search short. It's downstairs in the west wing. Third door on the right."

"Thank you."

"The rest of the palace is yours to discover."

Emma beamed.

"Now," Regina started with a smirk. "I have a few things to tend to, but I expect to see you at sundown."

Regina turned and headed for the door.

Emma followed her out of the room and looked around the hall. She checked every direction to determine which one she'd go down first.

Regina turned to check on her and smiled as she saw the blonde happily look around the corridor.

"Enjoy," Regina purred with a mischievous grin before she winked.

Emma tried not to blush as Regina ran her fingers through the tips of her tresses. She looked away to focus on one end of the hallway until Regina's hand left her. She turned to see Regina walk away and stared at the Queen before she turned down the opposite end of the hallway.

Her adventure had begun.

* * *

Regina tried not to touch her hair as she looked over the map she'd conjured on the surface of a round table. She felt all too feminine and nothing like an evil queen as she ran her fingers though her long brunette locks. She couldn't explain why she suddenly wanted to touch her own hair, but she feared if she continued to do just that she would start to twirl the tips around her index finger like a lovesick teenager. She hadn't done that since she spent her afternoons with Daniel at the stables and even then it was rare.

"Your Majesty," one of her guards formed her title into a question and pulled her from her thoughts.

Regina turned her head to look at him as he spoke.

"There's been word of Snow White and her prince successfully removing the barrier outside their palace."

"Then it shouldn't be long now," Regina thought aloud.

"We still have no course of action," the guard reminded her.

"I'm well aware of the situation at hand," Regina bitterly said as she heard the accusation in his tone.

"What do you suppose we do?"

"I've always favored guerrilla warfare," she noncommittally shrugged to prove how little she thought of his needless questions.

"Shall we guard the perimeter?"

"Not the immediate perimeter. Stay in the shadows toward the edge of the estate and take defense. Only attack when they try to pass...and show some mercy," she threw the last part in as an afterthought.

"Mercy," he incredulously asked. "Since when do you have us show mercy?"

"Since not everyone deserves to pay brutally for Snow White's crimes against me," she barked.

The guard suspiciously eyed Regina before he voiced his concern that was more like a judgment.

"Would your sudden need for mercy happen to stem from the young girl's presence?"

"The girl is none of your concern," Regina almost growled.

"Why not kill her and destroy Snow White once and for all?"

"Killing the princess would not make Snow suffer the way I intend her to," Regina defended.

The guard looked unconvinced.

She glared at him.

"Inquire about the princess again and those will be the last words you speak," she boldly warned.

The guard straightened up and tensed as he resumed the role of obedient lackey. He tightly clenched his jaw and kept his arms stiffly crossed at his wrists in front of him.

"Take your faction of fifteen men to the edge of my land and wait for Snow White and the prince. Hold their guards off until I can assemble the others and form a more intricate plan."

He nodded then returned and exited the war room.

Regina looked down and inspected the magically created map of the feuding lands. She held a hand over the outskirts of her own land and moved her index and middle finger in a circle above the map. Purple magic sparked from her fingers and struck the area on the map like a bolt of lightning before it flooded the rest of the map like crashing waves.

Several glowing blue dots appeared on the map and gravitated inward toward her palace. A safe distance behind the hoard of blue dots were two glowing white dots that moved in the same direction. They were surrounded by only a handful of blue dots separate from the hoard and Regina understood the white to represent Snow and Charming. The blue would be their army most likely comprised of both militia and a Royal Guard.

Regina wickedly grinned at the map as her eyes gleamed at the sight of the white dots. They stopped moving, still a good distance from the dark palace, and she throatily, victoriously chuckled.

* * *

Emma walked down a long, quiet corridor and turned into a dimly lit room. She scanned the walls as bookshelf after bookshelf lined them and surrounded a grand piano and lounge section.

A little off center of the room were two elegant leather couches and a mahogany table between them, the piano only a few feet away. The table displayed a chess board with the black and white pieces already properly placed on it. She passed one of the walls and lazily ran her fingertips over the book bindings on the shelf as she ventured toward the table.

When she found herself beside one of the couches, she stroked the leather on the arm of the couch before she turned and sat. She bounced a few times on the plump furniture before she settled. She sighed and leaned forward, her hands on her knees as she studied the chess board in front of her. She noted the differences between the board she stared at the one at her own palace. Her family's board was made of crystal and a centrally embedded silver plate the game pieces rested on with as much shine as her father's sword. Regina's board was made of jet black marble trimmed with thin gold around the inner border, the outer boarder being the edge of the board itself and not the playing field.

Emma rested her chin in her hand as she debated whether or not to start a game. She wondered if Regina would even notice.

She reached out to move one of the white pieces but pulled her hand back a small bit as it briefly hovered over the board. After a moment, Emma pulled her hand away from the board completely and placed it in her lap.

She tensed her shoulders and looked around the room again before she stood. She wandered toward one of the bookshelves and scanned over the titles on the bindings. An entire row was dedicated to text about horses. Whether it focused on riding, grooming, or breeds there was a vast amount of information on the subject. There were a number of books about many other things, some Emma wasn't sure she even understood, but something drew her to a book about horseback riding. She'd never really learned, but she hadn't made much of an effort to schedule riding lessons either. Still, it was good to know how, especially when it was the only form of efficient transportation in their world.

She took the book with her as she exited the room the same way she'd entered. The sun had started to fade, not as high in the sky as it had been when she and Regina were in the Queen's bed chamber.

She walked down the corridor and went back upstairs then counted the rooms back to Regina's bed chamber. She headed in the direction the brunette had gone after her magic lesson and listened for a smoky voice she'd started to like a little too much.

She passed five or six rooms before she felt something in her chest, a pull or a surge. She couldn't tell one from the other as she narrowed in on a specific room on the left. The feeling started to overwhelm her as she reached the door. When she peeked inside, Regina leaned over a glowing table with her back to the door.

Emma's eyes shifted south as she took in the sight of the Queen's assets appropriately displayed in tight leather. She couldn't deny her attraction to the Queen, especially since she'd almost went to bed with her after only knowing her through a mask for five minutes. She didn't even know the woman's name, where she came from, or anything about her past before they felt each other up while crushed against a tree after dancing in the moonlight. But everything had changed when the masks came off.

Or did they?

Emma's eyes remained fixated on Regina's ass until she fell into a trance-like state.

Regina felt a tug at her heart and recognized _the feeling, _the magnetic pull. She turned only her upper body as she kept herself slightly bent over the table and noticed the blonde's eyes trained on her lower half. She followed the younger woman's gaze to her ass then looked at Emma with a devilish grin.

"I'm flattered, dear," Regina's sultry, flirtatious and teasing tone snapped Emma back to reality.

Emma almost jumped like she'd been startled at the sound of Regina's voice and quickly locked eyes with the brunette.

"Good," Emma curtly said with wide eyes at the realization she'd been caught. "You should also be proud."

Regina's grin widened and took on a more wicked and sinfully delighted look.

"That I am, my dear princess," she kept her tone low and smoky.

Her words mixed with her tone sent shivers down Emma's spine. The blonde had to fight to keep her eyes open throughout the pleasurable sensation.

"Supper isn't ready yet. The sun hasn't completely gone down."

"I know," Emma said as she subconscious clutched the book in her hands to her chest.

She hadn't even remembered she had it.

Regina's eyes went from Emma's green pair to the book.

"You want me to read you a bedtime story," Regina teased as she raked her eyes up Emma's body from the book back to green eyes.

Emma looked quizzically at Regina then felt the weight of the book in her hands and looked down at it. She self-consciously lowered it and eased up on her grip as she sheepishly redirected her gaze at Regina with innocent eyes slightly hidden under long lashes.

"No," she softly answered then cleared her throat.

Regina's grin morphed into an amused smile. She couldn't help but notice how adorable Emma looked at times when her softer, less guarded side showed. She may have been twenty-eight, but sometimes her faces suggested she could be a scared and timid little girl.

Emma nervously shifted from foot to foot as she tried to regain her normal stature. She straightened up and looked at the floor for a moment before she stared at Regina.

"I wanted to see what you were doing," Emma casually answered as she managed to keep the nauseating fragility out of her tone.

She mentally kicked herself for seeming so lost and small.

"And the book," Regina asked as she glanced at it once more.

"I thought you could teach me."

Regina furrowed her brow as she tried to understand Emma. She stood up straight and turned completely toward the blonde. She sauntered over to the princess and lowered her gaze to the book one step before she came to a complete stop in front of the woman. She took it from Emma's arms and checked the cover for its title. She smiled when she read it and grazed her fingers over the lettering as she momentarily reminisced. It quickly turned into a pained frown from tortured memories before she looked up at Emma again.

Emma frowned as she noticed the change in Regina's demeanor.

"You want me to teach you how to ride," Regina asked.

Emma nodded, their eyes glued to each other.

"I can't. And I'm teaching you magic, isn't that enough," she harshly asked as she heavily dropped the book back into Emma's unsuspecting arms.

Emma fumbled with it before she could get a good grip and pressed it to her chest again as Regina returned to the oddly glowing table. Seconds after, Emma followed.

"It is, but...I never really learned how to ride horses. I don't even know how I made it to the barrier on one without falling or hurting the poor thing. I'd really appreciate it if you taught me."

"Get a riding instructor. Have him teach you," Regina said as she avoided eye contact with Emma, the blonde beside her and staring directly at her.

"The last man that tried to teach me got kicked in the ribs by a bucking stallion."

"Why on earth would he be so foolish to teach a novice how to ride on a stallion," Regina incredulously said as she turned with widen eyes to face Emma.

Emma smiled to have gotten the Queen's attention.

"He didn't teach me to ride on the stallion and he certainly didn't teach me anything that day. He tried to explain to me how to scrape the hooves and I made a jerky movement to do what he said. It startled the horse so it jumped up and kicked him on the way down. It would've kicked me, but I was off to the side and knew to move away when it jumped."

Regina shook her head.

"He should have rescheduled your lesson if he had no other horses. You could have gotten hurt...or killed. If that stallion had kicked you in the head-"

"But it didn't. I'm fine. Why do you care anyway? It was three years ago."

Regina frowned.

"Your first riding lesson was only three years ago?"

"Mhmm," Emma confirmed.

"Has your mother lost her mind? You should have been riding when you were at least twelve!"

"Oh, she tried to get me to take a lesson. I refused, though it was only after I had gotten on the horse and failed to ride it with any grace."

"Why," Regina softened as she asked in astonishment at Emma's response.

Emma shrugged.

"I always thought it was just another way they'd make me into their perfect little _Charming _daughter. I've been running away from the responsibilities of leading a kingdom since I was six and my dad had his first heart tremor."

"Heart tremor?"

"Is wasn't really a heart attack, but there was an irregularity to his heartbeat. He said it felt rock solid in his chest and the Blue Fairy said it was beating two times too fast."

"It was caused by your rebellion?"

"Maybe," Emma looked away.

Regina suspiciously eyed Emma as though she knew the other woman wasn't telling her the entire story.

"What's this," Emma asked after she looked over at the map and noticed all the glowing dots.

Regina stared at Emma for another moment before she followed the blonde's gaze to the map and allowed her own question to recede to the back of her mind.

"A map," she answered after a moment.

"What are all the glowing specks?"

"Locations."

"Of what?"

"People."

Realization dawned on her.

"_My _people. Specifically my parents," Emma stated though she still need confirmation.

"Yes," Regina nodded as she strained to keep her eyes on the map, unable to look at Emma in case she saw disappointment in beautiful green eyes.

"Do you have a plan," Emma curiously asked.

"Only to guard the far perimeter of my estate. I want to keep anyone from getting in. I've already sent fifteen men to keep them out."

"Will there be fighting," Emma asked in a way both physically and verbally told the Queen she was afraid to know the truth.

"Yes," Regina reluctantly answered. "But only if _we're_ attacked. I told my men not to strike first."

Emma slowly nodded as she let that sink in.

"What else do you have in mind? Certainly fifteen men won't protect you long."

"It'll buy me some time. That's all I need."

"No, you need a plan. Guarding the far perimeter isn't a plan."

"Oh, and I suppose you know all about plans."

"Growing up with parents that pushed you to fear the Evil Queen and always having to hear whispers about whether or not she'd attempt to break the barrier or not, yeah, I think I learned a few things."

"Please, your kingdom can't plot an attack like I can," Regina dismissively waved her hand like it was inarguable.

"Who said anything about an attack? You told me the men you sent out are not to strike first. You're playing defense. My parents are on the offense this time. The roles seem to be reversed. I won't waste time and ask why, but you're going to need a plan that doesn't involve slaughtering first and asking questions later."

Regina huffed and put a hand on her hip as she leaned against the table with her other hand.

"You need a barricade or something. Like a detour or a giant wall. Something that will without a doubt prevent them from getting in."

"Hmm," Regina considered it then looked outside. "It's almost time for supper. Would you like to accompany me to the dining hall?"

"Um, actually...can I go outside? I want to watch the sun set."

Regina's lips curled into a small smile.

"That can be arranged," Regina said before she took Emma's hand. "Come with me, dear."

Emma followed Regina out of the palace, bound by their laced fingers, and waited for Regina to stop somewhere.

Regina led Emma toward a clearing on top of a hill. The grassy terrain was smooth for about a mile before it sloped down into a valley on the other end as it approached the white palace. She let go of Emma's hand and sat down in the grass.

"Sit," Regina said as she patted the spot beside her and looked up at Emma.

Emma looked from Regina to the setting sun as it slid toward the horizon. It looked huge from their location, like if she were to keep moving forward she might actually be able to touch it. She looked back down at Regina who had laid on her back on her elbows to watch the orange ball. She sighed and sat next to Regina.

"If you look past the bunch of trees to the right, you can see your palace," Regina said as she pointed off into the distance.

Emma looked and squinted to see it.

"It looks so small from here," Emma said as she stared at it.

"Indeed. I used to come out here every day and watch the sun set."

"Really?"

Emma turned away from the palace and looked at Regina.

"Yes," Regina chuckled. "Is that another thing so hard to believe?"

"No, it's just...I sit in one of the trees in front of my palace to watch it set. Every day."

"You climb trees for fun?"

Emma nodded.

"Since I was a little girl. My mother always scolded me for it, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the view. ...Hey, if we can see my palace from here, could I have seen your palace from there?"

"I suppose it's possible, but with the barrier maybe it was harder to see."

Emma leaned back on her elbows and sighed as she faced the sun again.

"You know, when I was in the tree staring up at the sun I would get that feeling. That strange pull that steered me away from all the men my parents made me court. They were afraid I was going to be a spinster so they found nice, willing gentlemen to take me out. But that pull, that force, always told me it wasn't right."

"Yes, I remember you telling me something about that."

"Well, that's what I felt. Every time I watched the sun set I got that feeling. Except...it wasn't telling me to run away from something. It was tugging at me like it wanted me to chase something. Of course, I didn't understand it so I never went after whatever was the cause of that feeling. But when I relaxed and convinced myself that I was happy to just watch the sun set and know there was something out their calling to me, waiting for me, the feeling changed. It didn't demand a chase but allowed me to feel content and satisfied...like for a moment, whatever I was missing in my life – even if I didn't know what that was – I felt whole."

"Is that why you watch every day? Because of that feeling?"

"Yes. It started when I was old enough to climb. I was playing in the yard when the sun started to go down. I decided to climb the tree and that feeling hit me after a few moments. Once the sun went down, I had that incomplete feeling again and, for some reason, decided to have faith in my feelings. I did the same thing the next night and the night after that. The feeling always returned so I kept watching. Before I knew it, I never wanted to miss a sunset."

"Did you miss it the night of your ball?"

"Unfortunately," Emma frowned. "I was at a dress fitting. My mother insisted the dress wasn't complete so I had to stay inside. ...I still got that feeling though. I was looking at my reflection and suddenly, it coursed through me. I felt good."

Regina grinned.

"The same thing happened to me. That night, when I was getting ready, I had a similar feeling as I stood in front of my own mirror."

"Strange, isn't it," Emma smiled.

Regina nodded and hummed before she closed her eyes and bathed in the glow of the dwindling sunlight.

"My parents..." Emma started then trailed off as she kept her eyes on the sunset. "How close are they?"

Regina looked at Emma with a creased brow and stared silently for a moment.

"Why do you keep asking about them?"

"I'm...concerned."

"About?"

"If what you say is true, that the feud between you and my parents will go on for a while, then there's going to be a war."

"Does that bother you, dear," Regina asked as she rolled onto her side, still propped up on an elbow.

Emma remained sitting and brought her knees to her chest.

"Someone's going to get hurt," the blonde answered as she rested her chin on her knees.

"You still think I'm going to kill them." Regina asked, oddly almost afraid of the answer.

Emma ignored the question.

"They're never going to let me leave my room let alone the palace when this is all over," Emma said.

"All the more reason to enjoy your time here," Regina grinned as she pushed from her elbow onto her hand then raised her other hand to Emma's shoulder.

The Queen tapped the princess' shoulder and sent a magical spark into her body.

"Ah," Emma flinched at the shock then quickly hissed afterward.

Emma rubbed her shoulder and looked back to see Regina still grinning.

The brunette even chuckled when Emma poked her in the shoulder in retaliation, magic-less.

"I'll teach you how tomorrow," Regina said as her chuckling died down. "Although, I do want you to control that transportation spell."

"_Big_ lesson tomorrow?"

"Mhmm," Regina gave a nod. "You still have a lot to learn."

"But I'm good at it, right?"

"You...are," Regina started as she sat up completely and leaned in. "A natural."

Regina slowly pulled back Emma's golden curls to exposed her neck. Her eyes darkened with sinful lust as she kept them focused on the green eyes above her, watching her.

Emma cleared her throat and stiffened as she moved away from the Queen.

"However," Regina picked up her previous conversational point. "You lack control."

The brunette raked a fingernail up Emma's bicep then used it to pull down the strap of the blonde's dress.

Emma shrugged off Regina's hand.

Regina frowned, though not too torn up about the rejection.

"We should get inside. Supper is almost ready," Regina changed the subject and got to her feet.

Emma nodded in understanding as she tried not to look as sad and fragile as she felt. She looked toward her palace as Regina brushed off her leather pants and lace corset. She squinted her eyes to focus on small, moving figures in the distance. They disappeared behind a few trees then reappeared closer to Emma and Regina's location. She gasped.

"Emma," Regina asked as she quizzically looked down at the shocked and worried blonde.

"They're almost here" Emma said as she kept her wide eyes trained on the forest.

Regina followed her gaze and saw a group of guards stride toward her palace at a rapid pace. She clenched her jaw.

Emma whipped her head around and looked up at Regina.

"You don't have a plan," she stated as she recognized Regina's hard features.

"It matters not," Regina said before she snapped her eyes away from the forest and onto Emma.

"We must get back to the palace. I'll send the rest of my guards to hold them off."

"_All_ of your guards? What if they kill all your guards and make it to your front door. After everything you've done? They'll execute you."

"Wouldn't be the first time they've tried, dear," Regina directed her words at Emma, but she was only thinking out loud

Regina offered her hand to Emma.

"Come along, Princess. We don't have much time," Regina said as she waited for the blonde to take her hand.

Emma still looked worried but took her hand and allowed the Queen to help her stand.

Even with Emma on her feet, Regina kept the younger woman's hand in hers. She pulled Emma along with her as she fast-walked back to her palace in her heels.

The sound of horses and grunts and swords hitting swords grew louder the closer they got to the castle. Panic started to set in with Emma. Her stomach did flips and twisted itself in knots over and over again. There was trouble ahead. The magnetic pull was back, but in the way that always told Emma something wasn't right.

Regina let go of Emma when they stood between her palace and the onslaught of guards.

Yelps and cries were heard while the guards were injured or killed. Emma cringed as she felt that pull in her lower stomach. It almost made her nauseous.

"Regina," Emma called out as she hastily grabbed the brunette's hand.

The Queen turned around and furrowed her brows in confusion as she studied Emma's expression, desperate and pleading.

Regina shook her head.

"What is it?"

"We have to make a barrier...like the one my parents made to keep you away from me"

"What? No. Whatever magic I have won't be strong enough to keep them out. It would last an hour at most."

"What about me? I can help."

"No."

"You said it yourself, I'm good."

"Yes, but I also said you lack control. You've used magic only twice and the first time you wore yourself out."

"If we don't at least try, something bad is going to happen."

"You don't know that."

"Emma," both women heard Snow cry from a short distance.

They turned to see Snow and Charming fighting their way through the Queen's army with an army of their own.

Emma tilted her head to the side when she looked at Regina again.

"Trust me," Emma softly said, begging.

Regina's breathing was shallow as adrenaline coursed through her, a decision to be made. She looked over at the impending threat of losing to her enemy again. She sighed and looked back at Emma.

"You would help _me_," Regina asked, skeptical but hopeful.

Emma gulped and took a deep breath before she took Regina's other hand and sent her magic pulsing through the brunette's veins.

Regina's breath hitched and she felt the truth in Emma's silent answer in the other woman's magic.

Regina opened her mouth to speak but words failed her.

"Just take it," Emma encouraged. "Take the magic you need from me. Help me to help you."

Regina searched green eyes almost as if she were waiting for Emma to change her mind, hoping even.

"Get your hands off her," Charming yelled in a booming voice before fending off a guard.

Regina didn't take her eyes off Emma.

Emma refused to look anywhere else but brown eyes.

Neither one of them paid any attention to Charming or the battle that existed only ten feet away.

"This may hurt," Regina warned.

"Do it," Emma encouraged with a nod.

Magic crackled between their joined hands. Gold and purple sparks ignited for anyone in viewing distance to see.

Regina's lips parted when her jaw dropped slightly. The magnetic pull hit her as she felt Emma's magic mix with her own and the feeling intoxicated her. Her eyes flashed purple as Emma's flashed gold while the two continued to stare at each other.

"No," Snow screamed as a jolt of purple and gold shot out from Emma and Regina.

Emma squeezed Regina's hands tighter and winced as she felt the magic, the energy, being sucked out of her. She almost couldn't breathe.

Regina pressed her fingers, laced with Emma's, against the back of the blonde's hands. She used her thumbs to rub circles over them and stepped closer to the younger woman.

Emma dug her nails into the back of Regina's hands and focused on building a wall between her parents and Regina. She tightly closed her eyes as she tried to overcome the pain she felt as all her magic left her, but opened her eyes to stare into Regina's once again.

Regina looked to see their progress on the barrier as it weaved together, purple and gold, until Regina's magic overpowered Emma's and made a rich purple wall. She knew Emma was wearing down as she saw the way the colors of their magic dueled. She turned to Emma again and saw her tired expression.

"You're doing well, dear," Regina whispered to Emma. "We're almost done."

"Regina! Let her go," Snow yelled as she started to charge the older brunette.

"Stay with me," Regina said as she and Emma kept their eyes locked.

She brought one of Emma's hands to her mouth and kissed her knuckles.

Emma's eyes slowly closed and she exhaled as the barrier secured itself with waves of gold.

Regina slowly started to smile then turned to check on their efforts.

Snow ran right into the barrier with Charming close behind and was sent flying back into his arms. He caught her and stumbled back a few steps before he looked up at a grinning Regina.

Charming gave a slack jawed expression as he took in the sight of his daughter as she fell into the Evil Queen, eyes closed like she had fallen asleep. Charming didn't think that was all that had just happened.

"Emma," he yelled in an attempt to wake her.

Nothing.

Snow pushed off Charming's forearms and stood. She hurried toward the barrier again but stopped a few steps short of it, careful not to get thrown a second time. Charming followed suit and stood behind her.

"You won't get away with this," Snow barked through gritted teeth.

Regina chuckled, an arm wrapped around Emma's waist as the princess' limp arms loosely wrapped around her neck.

Emma's head rested in the crook of Regina's neck and Regina stroked a hand through golden curls in front of Snow and Charming.

"She's mine," Regina growled with a wicked smirk.

Snow took the few remaining steps to the barrier and raised a hand. She angrily pressed it against the magical wall, but it shocked her.

"Now you'll know what it's like being kept away from what you want most," Regina victoriously stated before a puff of purple smoke swirled around her and Emma.

"No," Snow shouted as both she and Charming reached out for their daughter only to be pushed back by the magic trapped inside the thin but impenetrable barrier.

Regina couldn't stop grinning as the smoke consumed her and Emma. She kept her eyes on Snow White and her gallant prince with devious pride until the purple smoke clouded her vision. Within seconds, the smoke dissipated and she had returned to her bed chamber. Her grin immediately fell to a sad frown as she looked down at Emma.

"Thank you," she whispered as she ran her hand through Emma's hair again.

Regina turned to the bed with the blonde, Emma's back to it, and gently lay the younger woman on it. As she leaned over Emma's body, exhaustion hit her. She stood up and caressed Emma's cheek with the back of her hand before she gracefully waved it over Emma. She turned Emma's dress into another borrowed sleep ensemble.

She hooked her arms under Emma's knees as her legs hung off the foot of the bed and lifted them to her own ribs. She pushed the princess further onto the bed as she simultaneously crawled onto it herself. She unintentionally knelt between Emma's legs as she eased them onto the bed then stared down at the sleeping princess. She smiled as she refrained from touching her any more than she already had and slid off the bed.

Regina resisted taking her eyes off Emma and leaving the room, but as tired as she was from the magic she still had supper waiting on her. She slowly made her way to the door but stared at Emma the entire time. Regina suddenly felt protective of the younger woman. She didn't want to leave her alone, even in her own palace, and she had no idea why.

She sighed and finally looked forward as she stepped into the hall. She headed down to the kitchen and dealt with the no longer necessary dining plans.

* * *

**A/N:** **So, more or less magic then you expected? And Snow and Charming have now jumped in, no longer a _distance_ threat. Let me know what you think. I've missed your reviews as much as I've missed being able to update. :D **


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Sorry if this took a while. I'm trying to rotate/alternate which stories I update so none of them get left behind. For those of you that read the first chapter of Best Laid plans, expect the second chapter to be my next updated story. For those of you who haven't read it (a story about Neverland and basically my version of the upcoming season of OUaT), I encourage you to check it out, though it isn't mandatory. :) In the mean time, enjoy this!_

* * *

"The barrier is holding strong, Your Majesty," one of the remaining guards informed Regina in the war room. "Snow White and Prince Charming have been unsuccessful in destroying it."

"Good," Regina dismissively said. "Although that's not surpassing. It's only been a day. You're excused."

Regina waved the guard away as she stared down at the magical map and spent a few minutes focusing on the newly formed golden line meant to represent the barrier. She watched as white and blue dots retreated from it. Pleased with the outcome, she went down to the kitchen.

"Cook, have two orders of tonight's supper sent up to my chambers when it's finished," Regina ordered.

The cook nodded before Regina turned and left.

She glided up the stairs and went straight to her room. Upon entry, she looked over at her bed and sighed. On top of the sheets lay the blonde princess, asleep and peaceful as ever. Her curls fell around her face and the tips of her hair rose and fell with her chest.

Regina had magically changed Emma out of the golden dress and into lace up, calfskin pants and an off-white peasant top. A small smile graced her lips as she watched Emma sleep and crossed the room. She perched herself on the bed next to the girl and slowly ran her hand through Emma's hair.

Emma took a deep breath, her eyes still closed, as she shifted in the bed.

Regina's smile widened.

"Wake up, my dear," she softly cooed.

Emma hummed and furrowed her brow before she could open them. Green eyes landed on the Queen and she turned on her side to face the brunette.

"Did I help," Emma sleepily asked.

Regina almost beamed at her.

"Yes. You were amazing," Regina said as she placed a hand on Emma's hip and leaned in.

Regina gave Emma a peck on the check. Her lips lingered as she slowly pulled away from the blonde then smirked when she saw Emma gaze up at her.

"Thank you," Regina purred.

"What happened with the barrier? Is it up?"

"Indeed. Your parents haven't been able to get in since we made it."

"Well, it's only been a few hours since then, right?"

"I'm afraid you've been asleep a lot longer than that, dear."

"How long?"

"It was supper time yesterday when we created the barrier. You've been unconscious for a full day."

"Really?"

"Mhmm."

A knock came at the door before a servant entered with a silver tray that held two plates.

"Your Majesty? The food you ordered," the servant bowed before the Queen.

"Set it on the table there," Regina casually motioned to the bedside table on her side of the mattress.

The servant did as she was told then waited.

"Go now," Regina shooed the woman away.

The servant curtsied and left the two of them alone.

"You must be hungry," Regina said as she reached for the finely designed tray.

"I'm still kind of tired actually," Emma frowned. "I feel weak."

Regina frowned as well before she turned away from the tray and back to Emma. "Still? Well, you exerted a lot of energy. I suppose that's not uncommon."

Emma tried to reposition herself and cringed.

Regina only watched as Emma shifted, but when the blonde grunted and scrunched up her face, she nearly jumped into action.

"On your back," Regina commanded as she sat up on her knees.

"Why?"

"I'm a queen, dear. You don't need any other reason than that to obey me."

"Yeah, you're _a _queen. Not _my _queen."

"I'm trying to help," Regina tried not to get agitated.

Emma could see the brunette had become a little flustered. She smiled.

"Relax. I was going to do it. I'm just giving you a hard time," she said before she rolled onto her back.

Emma kept her eyes focused on Regina's as she situated herself. She winced as she wriggled around to make herself comfortable. When she stilled, she watched Regina lean over her.

Regina's hands pushed up Emma's shirt with a feather like touch as her fingers gently slid across the blonde's fair, smooth skin.

Emma gasped and shot out a hand to stop her. She grabbed Regina's right wrist.

"What are you doing," Emma asked, a little nervous.

"I need to see something. I promise I won't do anything you don't like, but I _will _look where I need to look whether you want me to or not."

Emma exhaled and slowly pulled her hand back.

"Thank you," Regina said before she looked at Emma's stomach and continued to push Emma's shirt upward.

Regina stopped the shirt at Emma's chest and tried to maintain a straight face when she saw the bruising around Emma's ribs. She swallowed and kept her jaw tight.

"Is something wrong," Emma asked as she worried about Regina's faltering expression.

Regina struggled to find a way to explain.

"Bruises."

"Really," Emma asked as she tried to sit up on her elbows too quickly.

Emma yelped and tensed before she nearly collapsed onto the bed.

"Easy," Regina soothingly said then rubbed one of Emma's arm. "It's not too horrible."

"What could have caused them? I've been in this bed since the barrier went up, right?"

Regina nodded.

"Then what?"

"Most likely from the magic. You used magic earlier for our lesson yesterday. Then you made a barrier with me, a barrier similar to the one outside your palace. That was made with the strongest of both light and dark magic. For you to have done such a thing, physical repercussions can be expected."

"Am I going to have to stay in bed until it heals?"

"Only if you won't let me repair the damage."

"And how would you do that?"

"Magic."

"You can heal me with magic?"

"I transferred my energy to you with magic, didn't I? Healing is a little more complicated than that, but it's the same idea."

"Will it hurt?"

"It might."

"Is there...a way to make it _not _hurt?"

Regina looked over Emma's exposed skin before she met the blonde's gaze.

"Possibly. Do you want me to heal you?"

Emma nodded.

"Then you should relax. It shouldn't take long and the less resistance there is the faster and easier this will be. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Emma softly responded.

"Take a deep breath."

Emma did.

Regina lightly rested a hand over the bruising and placed the other on Emma's hip. She swung a leg over Emma's thighs and straddled her. She pressed down on Emma's hip and moved her fingers in small circles around the bruises.

Emma twisted up her face in discomfort before she felt the tingle of Regina's magic leave her fingers.

"Shh, it's okay," Regina tried to keep Emma calm as the blonde started to whimper and groan.

Regina started to massage Emma's hip then flattened her palm against her hipbone. She released a small surge of magic to sooth Emma while the other burst of magic strengthened injured ribs.

Emma's breath hitched as she suddenly felt the magic at her hip. It flowed through her body from the place of origin, up her side and down to an extremely sensitive area between her legs.

"You're doing that on purpose," Emma said as her eyes threatened to close.

Regina grinned.

"Of course. It's distracting, isn't it?"

Regina spoke in a low, flirtatious tone. Her hand slid lower than Emma's hipbone and disappeared inside Emma's pants.

"Wait," Emma breathlessly exclaimed.

Regina's hand stopped above Emma's most sensitive spot, her fingers ready to move even lower.

"Don't," Emma pleaded.

"I won't. This is all I was trying to do," Regina said before she made circles with her fingers in the same place she stopped them.

Pulses of magic left her fingertips and charged through Emma's lower abdomen and center.

Emma took a deep, surprised breath before she squirmed under Regina.

"No, no, no, no, no," Emma protested as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"You don't like what I'm doing," Regina asked, though she didn't stop.

"I do."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"I'm not..." Emma trailed off as she tried to regulate her breathing.

"Ready," Regina calmly finished for the blonde. "I know."

Regina's magic retreated from both Emma's ribs and her lower half. She took her hand out of Emma's pants and smiled down at Emma as she leaned in and stole a kiss.

"All done," Regina smirked as she pulled away.

Emma rolled her eyes as she realized what Regina had done.

"Very sneaky and absurdly distracting."

"You didn't even notice what was happening here," Regina traced around the skin where the bruises used to be with the light touch of her fingertips.

Regina lowered her head and brought her lips to Emma's ribs. She kissed the newly healed area.

Emma hummed in response.

"Still tired," Regina asked as she sat up.

"A little."

"Come here."

Emma furrowed her brow as she wondered what exactly Regina wanted her to do. After a few moments, she propped herself up on her elbows.

Regina met Emma the rest of the way and leaned in. Her lips were close to Emma's as she looked over Emma's face, from eyes to chin back up to Emma's pink lips. She smirked as she noticed those lips were parted. She closed the small remaining distance and kissed the princess.

Emma didn't hesitate before she kissed back. She hungrily kissed Regina as though she feared the brunette's lips would vanish in seconds, as though none of it were real and she'd never feel like that again. Her heart soared and her blood boiled. She felt her heart pound against her chest in a crescendo the more their lips made contact.

Regina moaned as her hand found one of Emma's concealed breasts and slid her tongue across Emma's bottom lip.

Emma whimpered as she darted her tongue out to meet Regina's in confirmation the queen could have access.

Regina didn't hesitate to snake her tongue between Emma's lips and play with the other woman's tongue. She rolled her hips forward against Emma's center and pressed her stomach against Emma's, though the blonde's was the only one on display. She brushed the pad of her thumb over Emma's nipple through the peasant top and felt it harden.

"Mm. Seems our Charming princess is attracted to the dark side," Regina wickedly grinned as she briefly pulled away. "Tell me, dear. Are you easily seduced?"

"I'm fairly sure my sexual history answers that question. I would say the _dark queen_ likes the _good_ side. Tell me, why waste your time with a virgin?"

"If I have to keep answering that question, maybe I shouldn't bother with you at all."

"Then answer another question. Do you ever think about the person you were before you were evil?"

"You really want to talk when we could be-"

"Could what? Do you only want to put your hands all over me? That's as bad as taking advantage of me."

"No. That's not-" Regina cut herself off then sighed. "I don't know what you want. First you let me kiss you then things seem to escalate and now you're asking me questions because you want to talk. I just don't understand where you're at right now."

"Guess you've never been with anyone as frustrating as me," Emma frowned.

Regina furrowed her brow in confusion.

"No one else has understood me either," Emma sadly continued. "The last date I had...we started kissing and after a little while, he was touching me and I said stop. He didn't want to, but I told him I'd rather talk from then on. He got kind of angry and said we weren't stopping. He said I shouldn't be willing to go as far as we had just to stop him."

"He didn't stop," Regina asked, almost outraged.

"He did, but...it took him a while to get it in his head that I didn't want to go any further. He's supposed to be some noble prince and yet he was willing to do things with me that are only things to be shared between husband and wife. At least, that's how I've been raised to think."

"But you weren't..." Regina trailed off with concern.

"No, but he wasn't the first prince to react like that. They all told me I wasn't worth the trouble. They all said I'd never get married if I continued to deny them what they deserved."

"Give me thir names and I'll see to it they no longer think they deserve anything more than the pain I cause them."

Regina started to get off Emma, but the blonde quickly reached out and grabbed her hips.

Emma pushed her down onto herself and forced her to stay.

"Don't."

"Why shouldn't I," Regina angrily said, though she made no move to leave again. "They don't deserve you and they certainly don't deserve you like that if that's how they act. You're not at all frustrating, just confusing and complicated. Nothing wrong with complicated."

"Do you think_ you_ deserve me?"

Regina locked eyes with Emma. She stared at the younger woman for several silent moments.

"I don't _think_ I deserve you. I _know _I don't."

"How can you feel that way?"

"Have you met me? I'm the _Evil _Queen, dear. I don't deserve a beauty like you."

"You weren't always evil though, were you. Does that Regina deserve me?"

"Maybe she would have, but if she were still around now she'd be with Daniel. We probably wouldn't have even met."

"You don't have to stay 'evil'. Not that I really think you're evil."

"You should. I've killed many people, too many to count. I've tortured more than that."

"The question is...why."

Regina sighed.

"Are you hungry yet," Regina abruptly asked and changed the subject.

Regina shifted and tried to get off Emma for the second time.

Emma gripped Regina harder, even dug her nails in.

"I want to try something," Emma spoke up.

"What would you like to try?"

"I want to try not to confuse you," Emma said before she raised her hands to the neckline of Regina's gown.

Emma pulled her down by Regina's dress to bring their mouths close.

"I'm still not ready, but..." Emma trailed off as she captured Regina's lips with hers.

Regina fell into the kiss and trapped her hand in Emma's hair. She cupped the blonde's cheek and cautiously kissed Emma harder.

Emma deepened the kiss in response and their tongues danced together before they dueled. She grabbed one of Regina's hands and guided it down her bare stomach. Her breath hitched when she helped Regina touch her lower abdomen then stilled Regina's hand.

Regina's thumb rested just below Emma's navel, her palm pressed against Emma's heated skin.

Emma shifted under Regina and unintentionally slid a knee between Regina's legs.

Regina let out a surprised moan as she lurched toward the headboard to escape the contact. Unfortunately for her, Emma's knee seemed to follow her as they continued to kiss.

"Emma," Regina whispered as she tore her lips away. "You're making it difficult to keep things from getting too intimate."

"Oh, sorry," Emma sheepishly said as she looked down and noticed her knee between Regina's thighs.

Emma brought her leg down onto the bed and bit her bottom lip.

"It's okay," Regina said as she leaned in again and kissed Emma.

After a few more minutes, she lowered herself to Emma's jaw then down to her neck. She left a trail of wet kisses in her wake then continued onto Emma's collarbone and chest. She kissed above one of Emma's breasts then chastely kissed her way over to the top of the other breast.

Emma moaned and arched her back to feel more pressure from Regina's lips. She grabbed a fistful of Regina's long hair and held the brunette against her.

Regina hummed against Emma's skin and sent vibrations through the blonde's body. She grinned as she felt Emma keep her in place.

"Regina?"

"Hmm."

Regina continued to kiss Emma's body.

"I'm...I really like this, but I'm actually starving," she nervously laughed when she reached the end of her sentence.

Regina smiled and pulled away from Emma's skin.

"Not a problem. It makes it easier to resist you if we do something else."

"Are you...sure it's okay with you?"

Regina shook her head and looked down almost pityingly at Emma.

"I told you we wouldn't do anything you're not comfortable with. You're in control of what happens physically."

"Really?"

"Yes," Regina nodded. "Food?"

Emma nodded and incidentally tangled her hair against a pillow in the process.

"Okay," Regina said as she rolled off Emma and turned to the tray on the bedside table.

Regina took one of the plates from the tray and set it in her own lap. She picked up one of the finger foods on the plate and handed it to Emma as the blonde sat up against the headboard.

"Thank you," Emma said as she took the food.

Regina poked at some of the food on the plate with a fork before she took a bite.

"Care for a drink," Regina asked after she turned back to the table to retrieve the one glass the servant brought her. "It's apple cider. A little on the bitter side, but it's the best there is."

"Sure," Emma confirmed as she took the crystal glass from Regina.

Emma took a sip and twisted her face at the harsh aftertaste when she swallowed.

"You're right. It is a little bitter," Emma said as she handed the glass back to Regina.

"You don't like it?"

"I think it's an acquired taste."

Regina flashed a dark, pained grin.

"Guess that's true about a lot of things here."

Emma narrowed her eyes, teasingly suspicious and directed at Regina. She rolled onto her side and leaned in. She playfully bit below Regina's clavicle then followed up with a quick lick in the same spot.

Regina's eyes slowly closed as her body tingled from the sensation.

Emma pulled away to look at Regina and smiled.

"You taste just fine to me," Emma said with a low voice.

Regina opened her eyes and smirked down at Emma.

"Not much of a taste," Regina started. "If you want to know how true my earlier statement is, you wouldn't have licked me there."

Emma cleared the plate from Regina's lap as she placed it back on the tray before she straddled Regina's lap. She took the glass from Regina and grinned as she brought it to her lips then took a swig. She swallowed it without making a face that time.

"I bet you taste better," Emma teased.

Emma leaned in, the glass still in her hand, and kissed Regina.

Regina's hand came up to rest below the waistline of Emma's pants and pressed against her backside. She applied more pressure when Emma deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around Regina's neck.

Emma lifted herself off Regina's lap as she pushed her hips against Regina's stomach. After only a second, she lowered herself back onto Regina's lap and felt the brunette squeeze her backside with a possessive grip.

Both women moaned into the kiss.

Regina turned her head and broke the kiss with a sigh.

"You're too good at that," Regina softly said in a somewhat raspy voice.

"That's always a good sign things are going well, right," Emma teased before she leaned in and tried to kiss Regina again.

Regina reached up from Emma's backside to the bottom of Emma's shirt. She yanked the blonde back before their lips could touch and stared into green eyes. Something familiar tugged once at her heart, a great and unseen force Regina had come to know as a magnetic pull.

Emma stared back at her with confusion that soon turned into a lost puppy expression.

"Did I...do something wrong," Emma sadly asked, worried the answer would be yes.

"No," Regina quickly refuted with a shake of her head. "No, my dear. You're perfect."

Emma frowned then lowered her gaze from chocolate brown eyes to plump red lips.

Regina faltered as she subconsciously parted her lips before she and Emma both leaned in. They met halfway and their lips melted together in a passionate, hungry kiss.

Emma proudly smiled into the kiss and caused Regina to disapprovingly groan.

Regina's hand snaked around from Emma's backside and hooked her fingers into the front of Emma's pants. Her knuckles grazed Emma's skin beneath the blonde's undergarment.

Emma gasped and unintentionally broke the kiss during her moment of surprise. She tightly gripped Regina's shoulder with her empty hand as the other still grasped the glass of cider.

"Regina," Emma whispered.

"Too much," Regina asked as she started to pull back her hand.

Emma shook her head and gulped as she grabbed Regina's wrist. She guided Regina's hand back to her pants.

"Just keep it there," Emma said before she leaned in and chastely kissed Regina before she continued. "Don't move it any lower."

"As you wish, Princess," Regina purred as her eyes fell from green eyes to pink lips.

Emma watched Regina's gaze fall to her mouth then crashed their lips together. She moaned and found herself slowly rocking her hips.

Regina moaned in appreciation and clawed at Emma's pants. She tugged at them and pulled them south but not off. Her other hand slid up Emma's side and scratched Emma's ribs under the peasant top.

Emma bit Regina's bottom lip.

Regina let out an elongated moan and slid her hand from Emma's ribs to her back. With one hand still clutched around the front of Emma's pants, she slid her hand down Emma's spine and it disappeared beneath Emma's pants and underwear over her backside. She cupped one of Emma's cheeks as the blonde continued to grind against her lap.

Emma bit Regina's lip harder as she blindly reached out and felt her way around the bedside table with the glass of cider. After a few clumsy, unsuccessful moments she safely set the glass down on the tray then brought her other hand back to Regina's neck.

Regina dug her nails into Emma's backside in response. She pushed her hand further down the front of Emma's pants. One of her knuckles brushed against Emma's clit.

A surprised moan escaped Emma as she clenched her thighs around Regina's hips and released the brunette's bottom lip.

"Sorry," Regina said. "You make it hard not to touch you."

Emma panted as she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Regina's.

"It's good," Emma breathlessly said. "It feels good."

"That's... I'm glad," Regina grinned.

"But I think we should stop."

"Right," Regina reluctantly accepted. "I understand."

Regina pulled away, their foreheads no longer touching, and nodded. She removed both her hands from Emma's pants and took a few deep breaths to collect herself. She reached up and tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind Emma's ear.

"You're okay?"

Regina had asked the question with notable concern in her voice.

Emma smiled and nodded.

"I'm okay."

Regina smiled back.

"Good. Shall we get back to supper?"

Emma looked over at the plates for a moment before she reached over and grabbed an apple slice. She brought it up to Regina's lips and the two of them locked eyes for a few seconds before Regina bit off half of the thin slice.

Emma ate the other half as she stayed in Regina's lap. She reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a spoon. She dipped it into a bowl of soup on the tray and carefully lifted it to her mouth for a taste. Some of the soup left the spoon and trickled down her chin and throat.

As Emma pulled the spoon out of her mouth, Regina hooked a finger under Emma's chin and made the blonde look up toward the ceiling. She leaned in and licked up the running droplet of soup from Emma's throat to the source of the spill: her lips. Regina flicked the tip of her tongue over Emma's bottom lip then gave the blonde space as she moved away.

"I don't think I'm ready, but you make me think I'm ready enough," Emma admitted.

Regina flashed a smirk that quickly disappeared.

"I'm flattered," Regina started as she became serious. "But when the time comes for us to be intimate you'll know. Right now isn't the right time."

"When _will _be the right time?"

"Soon enough."

Emma slowly smiled at the familiar words before she traced over the impression she made of Regina's bottom lip.

"I bit you kind of hard, didn't I," Emma asked.

"Not enough to make me bleed."

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, my dear. I liked it. That's why I couldn't keep my hands where you wanted them."

"So I helped again," Emma stated rather than asked, an almost mischievous smirk on her face.

Regina lustfully grinned.

"In a way."

Emma met Regina's gaze and the two of them remained transfixed on each other.

"Has your mother taught you how to plait your hair," Regina asked after a moment.

"Yes, but I'm afraid neither of us is much good at it," Emma answered.

"May I plait it for you?"

Emma shrugged.

"Why not? Maybe I'll learn the right way to do it."

Regina smiled.

"If I'm teaching you, I'll make sure you learn the right way."

Emma lightly laughed.

"But that's only if you want to learn and you _should _want to learn."

"Well, I do," Emma's smile spread.

"That's my kind of princess," Regina grinned before she placed a hand on the back of Emma's neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

The kiss didn't last too long, but it served almost as a moment frozen in time with the way it lingered.

"Come on," Regina said after she separated herself from Emma's lips.

Regina patted Emma's backside with her left hand as she brought her right hand down from Emma's neck to the mattress.

Emma took the hint and got off Regina. She stood beside the bed and helped the brunette to her feet.

"In front of the mirror so I can show you," Regina motioned toward the vanity across the room.

Emma sat in the well cushioned chair with a half back.

Regina quickly took her place behind the chair and ran her fingers through long blonde tresses before she pulled them toward her, over the back of the chair.

The light, gentle touches of Regina's fingers in her hair nearly sent shivers down Emma's spine. She slowly closed her eyes as she relaxed and reveled in the feeling.

Regina grinned as she chuckled and started to comb through Emma's hair.

"It's hard to learn with your eyes closed," Regina said and caused Emma's eyes to shoot open.

Emma looked at Regina through her reflection and sheepishly smiled when the two of them locked eyes in the mirror.

"I'm focused," Emma assured her.

"We'll see how focused you are when I'm done," Regina said as she began separating Emma's hair into three sections.

"Your Majesty," Emma started with feigned shock as she placed a hand over her heart. "Are you suggesting you'll be a distraction throughout all this?"

Regina's grin turned ravenous and wicked before she leaned in. Her lips brushed against the shell of Emma's ear as she spoke.

"That is entirely up to you," she slowly purred as she kept her eyes on Emma's in the mirror.

Emma subconsciously licked her lips as her eyes fell from Regina's down to the brunette's kiss swollen and bitten bottom lip.

Regina lowly chuckled, the sound deep from her throat as it reached Emma's ears. She moved forward a little and barely turned her head before she pecked Emma on the cheek.

Emma's eyes never left Regina's lips throughout the action. When Regina pulled back after the kiss, Emma looked into her eyes again.

Regina winked at her.

"You liked marking me," Regina stated, no room for argument. "You're much more than I thought you'd grow up to be."

"How's that?"

"You like control as much as I do. You know the only reason you're mother is as tough as she is now is because I drove her out of the palace for several years after her father was killed. If she'd stayed in the palace, if her father had lived, she would be a passive little princess that never would have met her True Love and you wouldn't exist. As much suffering as I put that girl through, you would think she'd at least thank me for giving her the happy ending she wanted."

"I don't think she sees it that way since you currently have me in your possession and have done nothing but try and keep her and my father apart in the past. Not to mention, you tried to have her killed by the Huntsman while she was on the run. You tried to have her killed numerous times, in fact. And you never meant for her to find my father."

"Are you starting to loose faith in me, my darling," Regina asked as she started to weave the three separate strands together in an intricate braid.

"I'm only giving you my parents' perspective. I still refuse to believe you're as evil as they all say."

"And who is 'all'?"

"The entire kingdom. Ugh, even some of the princes I dated would tell me to stop talking about you."

"You talked about me on your dates?"

"Well, yeah. I was...enthralled with the stories my mother told me. As dark as she made you sound, I was always interested in you."

Regina pursed her lips to contain her pleased grin, though Emma still noticed. Her pursed lips didn't contain much.

Emma brushed the sleeve of her top off her shoulder. She made more skin appear as she watched the brunette train brown eyes on the crook of her neck.

Regina's hands stilled in Emma's hair as she stared down at newly exposed skin.

"Mark me," Emma ordered as she stared straight at Regina in the mirror.

Regina's eyes snapped up to the mirror and instantly met a green gaze.

"You're not my prisoner anymore, are you," Regina stated.

"No, but I don't think I ever was."

"So what does that make you?"

Emma made sure she kept Regina's eyes on hers before she answered.

"Yours."

Regina's heart beat strong enough against her chest she thought it would burst out of her.

"How is it you know exactly what to say," Regina shook her head before she kissed the crook of Emma's neck.

Regina's first kiss quickly became a second then third kiss and her tongue slid out to lick Emma's neck between red lips. She kept her fingers in Emma's hair mid-braid as she nipped at soft skin. One hand dropped from Emma's hair after Regina put all three strands in her left hand. Her right hand slid down Emma's right side over the peasant top. She gripped the hem of the top when she reached Emma's hip and clenched her fist around the thin, flowing material. She raked her nails up to Emma's right breast then eased up on the top as she flattened out her palm and ran it across Emma's breast. She cupped it as her index finger glided over Emma's concealed nipple.

Emma reached back and tightened her right fist around Regina's hair as she watched the brunette touch her in the mirror. She titled her head to the left to give Regina more access to her neck.

Regina didn't hesitate to accept the invitation. She made a trail of wet kisses up her neck to the spot under Emma's ear then came back down leaving tiny bite marks she kissed after she made each one. Once her lips fell back onto Emma's pulse point, she gently bit down. She sucked at the bite mark then bit again before she repeated the process. Her tongue danced over the teeth marks she left in Emma's skin before she continued to bite then suck and repeat a second time.

Regina curled her index finger and scraped her nail over Emma's nipple.

Emma clenched her legs together as she whimpered and bit her bottom lip. She could feel a warmth between her legs as she aggressively held Regina in place at her neck with her hand in brunette hair.

"Oh, no," Emma frowned as she felt her panties dampen, her grip still strong in Regina's hair.

Regina stopped biting and stilled her hand over Emma's breast to observe the blonde in the mirror.

"What's wrong?"

"Um, I kind of..." Emma trailed off as she looked down at her lap. "I mean, I didn't do..._that_, but it's... I'm...wet down there."

A look of relief crossed Regina's face before she smiled and laughed.

"Not to worry," Regina started as she slid her hand down Emma's stomach.

Regina stopped herself and kept her hand above the waistline of Emma's pants.

"May I," Regina asked as she looked into the reflection of Emma's eyes.

Emma looked innocent and small as she stayed quiet in the chair, her eyes wide open as they stared back at Regina in the mirror.

"I promise I'm just going to feel," Regina assured.

Emma gulped then took a deep breath and blinked for the first time in almost a minute. She nodded in reply.

"You have to open your legs for me," Regina said.

Without making Regina ask for permission, Emma spread her legs.

Regina didn't speak as she slid her hand inside Emma's pants and underwear. She ran two fingers through Emma's folds and felt Emma's slickness.

Emma's breath hitched as she raised a leg and rested a booted foot on the edge of the vanity. She leaned against the back of the chair and clawed at Regina's right arm, the arm responsible for the other woman's hand being in her pants.

Regina closed her eyes as she rested her forehead against Emma's hair and closed her fist around blonde tresses. She forgot about the braid as she felt Emma, physically ready for her.

"I've never..." Emma struggled to speak as she closed her eyes and dug her nails further into Regina's arm. "I've never felt like this before. You...you make me want this."

Regina moaned as she slowly moved her fingers lower. Her fingertips reached Emma's tight opening. She stopped them above the place she wanted to be more than other place in the world, a new realization for her.

Emma felt the warmth return and more wetness engulfed her panties. She opened her eyes and stared at Regina through the mirror. The brunette's eyes were still closed. Emma turned her head to try and look at Regina without the mirror's assistance.

The turn of Emma's head caused Regina to open her eyes and pull away to give the blonde room to move. A couple seconds later, she stared into big green eyes. She could see tears forming in them.

Regina nodded in understanding as Emma's expression silently communicated for her the things the younger woman couldn't vocalize. She leaned forward and kissed Emma's cheek then her lips. She kissed Emma's lips again and again as tears of her own started to fill her closed eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter to hold them back, but it only made it easier for them to fall. A couple tears streamed down her cheeks as she kissed Emma a forth time. She choked back a sob from holding in her tears too long before she kissed Emma a fifth time then removed her hand from Emma's pants. She took a deep breath that sounded ragged as she pulled away from Emma. When she opened her eyes, she saw the unshed tears in Emma's after the blonde opened her eyes to look up at the brunette.

"Regina?"

Regina forced a smile that Emma knew held no sincerity.

"Sorry," Regina quickly apologized as she let go of Emma's hair and used her left hand to wipe away her tears. "I shouldn't have-"

Regina stopped herself short and looked down at her right hand, her index and middle finger coated with a sample size of Emma's taste.

"I promise I'll give myself to you," Emma spoke up.

Regina looked Emma in the eyes when she heard the blonde's response.

"No," she firmly said as she recognized Emma's need to make things better, to promise she'd be the one to fix things. It was something Regina did to please her own disappointed mother. "No, no, no. This isn't your fault."

"But you're crying."

"I realized something. That's all. Something that made me sad."

"Me, right? I made you sad?"

Regina shook her head.

"No. Emma, there's nothing you can do to make me sad," Regina assured the blonde as she ran the back of her left hand down Emma's cheek.

"You're crying because I said no," Emma frowned.

"Of course not," Regina said as she gathered herself, her tears kept at bay as the strength in her voice returned. "You repeat this to anyone and you'll only live to regret it. ...I would wait the rest of my life for you to say yes. I'm going to wait as long as I have to for you to be ready. Can you accept that? It's the best answer I can give you and I promise you it's the truth."

Emma studied Regina before she nodded.

Regina slowly smiled before she spoke.

"You really are too kind to me."

"You can make it up to me by continuing to teach me how to braid my hair," Emma smiled.

"I can _start _with that," Regina said as she ran a hand through the neglected and destroyed braid. "I can settle my debt entirely by giving you at least _one _riding lesson."

"Really," Emma excitedly asked.

Regina ran a hand down Emma's cheek.

"Yes...but there's something I must do first before that happens."

"What?"

Regina smiled as she held back a laugh.

"Well, I haven't finished with your hair."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Liar."

"It's not a lie. That's the truth."

"It's _a _truth. There's something else you have to do before giving me a riding lesson and you're not telling me."

"A woman can't have a little mystery about her?"

"You can. I wasn't asking you to share. I just wanted to let you know that I can tell when you're lying," Emma said as she stood up and closed the little space between them.

Emma went in to kiss Regina on the lips again, but Regina pulled away before their lips could touch.

"Come on, _Your Majesty_," Emma teased with a small giggle. "Let me kiss you."

Regina frowned.

"Regina, come on," Emma quickly said, not really begging, as she ran her hands up and down both Regina's arms. "I'll be good to you."

Regina rested her forehead against Emma's and smiled as she released a sigh.

"You...will be the death of me yet," Regina said before she brought her lips to Emma's.

Emma immediately kissed her back and took control. She initiated the second kiss and made sure it lingered as they parted.

"Then at least you'll have a chance of dying happy," Emma joked.

_Somehow I think that holds some truth, _Regina thought as she ran the pad of her thumb down Emma's cheek.

* * *

_I know some of you thought that because Snow and Charming had arrived that things between Emma and Regina were going to slow down if not come to a stop. Hopefully this chapter told you that's not the case, but if it didn't I'm telling you now I have no intention of keeping Emma and Regina from growing closer. There will be obstacles, of course, but those obstacles I have planned won't be much of an issue at least for a little while. :D _

_Please don't forget to review. Thank you to all those that favorited, followed, read and reviewed so far. I really appreciate the feedback/reactions that I've gotten for this story. :)_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** _Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites. Just a reminder that Lana's birthday is tomorrow (July 15th). Go on Twitter and wish her (__ LanaParrilla_) a happy one! Also, enjoy this chapter because it may be the last one for a couple weeks. Oh, life. How I wish it didn't get in the way of fan fiction. ;)

* * *

Regina adoringly smiled at Emma in the mirror as she weaved together the braid she'd previously abandoned.

"Turn your head more, dear," Regina lightly laughed as she took the three strands of hair in one hand.

She gently pushed Emma's chin with two fingers from her free hand to turn the blonde's head for her.

"You'll never learn if you can't see what I'm doing."

"I can feel what you're doing," Emma replied as she locked eyes with Regina through the mirror.

"Nevertheless," Regina started after a moment. "All braids are different. You should watch to see how this one is done."

"Can I braid your hair when you're done with mine? I want to see if I can do it."

"You may, my dear," Regina said as she focused her attention on blonde tresses.

Emma watched Regina's fingers work through her hair and design a simple yet somehow elegant braid.

"Did you teach my mother how to plait hair," Emma curiously asked.

"If I said yes then it would reflect poorly on my skills as a teacher since you have informed me of her inability to do it."

Emma smiled.

"So you tried to teach her," Emma stated instead of asked.

"Yes," Regina flatly answered as she kept her attention on blonde hair.

"What was it like? For you. To live with my mother?"

Regina sighed as the question awoke memories she long tried, and had been successful, to forget.

"Bearable...for a while. She was only twelve when I moved into the palace. As she got older, she became more of a nuisance."

"Will you tell me about your time at the palace?"

Regina looked up to meet Emma's eyes in the mirror.

"Anything specific you wish for me to disclose?"

"I know most of your time there must have been painful and I'm sure you wouldn't want to relive it so...whatever you are willing to share."

Regina took a deep breath and smiled only when she relaxed as she looked at Emma's hair.

"Would you like to hear a story about your mother as a child?" Emma slowly beamed.

"Yes, please," Emma said as she looked at Regina through the mirror, though Regina hadn't yet returned her gaze that time.

Regina gave a small laugh almost under her breath and found the younger woman's eyes in the mirror.

"Very well. Your mother was no more than thirteen years when she came running to me about a problem. I really didn't have the heart to deal with her as the night before hadn't been too pleasant for me."

Just as Regina finished her sentence, Emma cringed at the implication in the brunette's words.

"But she was in a panic," Regina continued before she noticed the look on Emma's face.

Regina soothingly ran a hand down Emma's arm in response to Emma's expression.

"Worry not, my princess," Regina warmly smiled. "That part of my life is over and I stand here as strong as ever today. Your grandfather wasn't the first person to hurt me, but hopefully he is the last...not including the monster who taught me magic."

Emma nodded after a moment and Regina took it as her cue to continue with the story.

"Your mother was in a panic," Regina repeated. "She insisted I go outside with her. She pulled me along until we stopped in front of this injured bird."

Emma scrunched up her face at the sudden oddity of the story.

Regina smiled.

"I looked much the same when I saw the creature. Nevertheless, your mother demanded I help nurse the bird back to health. She assumed it had other birds to fly off to, a family or friends of some sort."

"I know my mother likes animals, I just didn't think she was that...charismatic about their welfare."  
Regina chuckled.

"Yes, well, she wouldn't leave me alone until I brought the bird into the palace. I spent four days trying to fix the bird's wing while I fed it water and seeds. The King, your grandfather, spent much time with Snow after we took the bird in so naturally it became my responsibility."

Emma happily smiled at Regina's tone during the last admission of the brunette's sentence.

Regina never wanted to see that smile fade, it seemed innocent and almost childlike. It lit up the entire room and warmed Regina's cold, blackened heart.

"We couldn't let the King know there was a bird inside the palace so we had to hide it. Each day we had to find a new hiding spot too. The King would somehow end up only inches away from where we kept the bird, oblivious but still too close for comfort.

"Before your mother would go to bed each night, she would join me with the bird. She would ask to feed it then wondered how we could make its' wing better. I had no idea how to fix it."

"You didn't have magic then?"

"I was still learning," Regina broke away from her story to answer the princess' question.

"Did you help the bird?"

"We did what we could. On the third night, I was convinced the bird wouldn't make it to see the morning. Your mother cried and cried. She didn't want the bird to die alone. She didn't want it to die at all. She thought it was suffering and she wouldn't let go of me."

Emma's smile faded.

"I took your mother to her bed chamber and tried to get her to sleep, but she wouldn't be left. I stayed with her until she fell asleep, still in tears and sniffling when she finally did."

Emma turned in the chair and stared up at Regina.

Regina warmly smiled down at her as she stilled her hands in near golden tresses.

"The King almost woke her up as he yelled out for me. The oaf. Before I could get back to the bird, I had to service his less dire needs."

"I'm sorry," Emma quickly and softy said as she abruptly stopped Regina.

"It's not your fault, dear. I shouldn't even mention such things to you. He was your family after all."

"I don't consider anyone as thoughtless and cruel as him to be my family. For all my grandfather did to you, I'm glad he's dead."

"I've been just as thoughtless and cruel in my day," Regina informed her.

"Have you forced yourself onto someone like he forced himself onto you," Emma angrily asked as though she knew the answer would be no.

"Once," Regina reluctantly admitted.

"Really," Emma asked, shocked though not entirely disgusted.

"The Huntsman. I took something from him and with it, I was able to bed him."

Emma frowned as she stared down into her lap. She avoided the brunette's gaze for several moments of silence.

Regina patiently waited, though Emma's expected response saddened her. After a short while, Regina lifted Emma's chin with one hand and made the blonde look up at her.

"I no longer find myself in his company. Not in that way, at least. There were only a few nights here and there over the last couple decades, none of those nights recent. Sometimes he would anger me and I would be...hungry so I would force him to do things."

"What did you take from him?"

Regina sighed and knew that if she told Emma the truth, the princess would surely be disappointed. If she lied, Emma would most likely find out and things would be much worse. If she didn't say anything, it would upset Emma past the point of future reasoning. So she took a chance on the princess.

"His heart." Another silence fell between them.

That one was far longer and twice as uncomfortable than the previous one.

Regina kept a hand in the unfinished braid and knelt before the blonde.

"I promise you I no longer use him in such a capacity."

"But you still have his heart," Emma flatly said.

Regina reached up with her free hand and lightly pressed her fingertips to Emma's chest, above the blonde's heart.

Emma flinched and shrunk away from the touch at first. Regina frowned, but didn't dare pull away.

"I won't hurt you, my dear," Regina soothingly spoke as she ran her fingertips less than an inch down Emma's skin.

Regina slowly pulled down the neckline of the peasant top as she moved her fingers further down Emma's breast.

Emma's breath remained surprisingly steady. She never took her eyes off Regina's fingers.

Regina shifted on her knees before she leaned forward.

Emma's eyes flicked up to meet the brunette's chocolate brown pair seconds before Regina's eyes closed and her plump lips pressed against Emma's fair skin. Emma's eyes fluttered closed as she allowed Regina to kiss her chest.

"May I keep mine," Emma quietly asked after a moment, Regina's lips still on her chest.

The question slowly worked its way through Regina's mind before she pulled away and stared up into desperate and sleepy eyes.

"Of course, my dear. This," Regina started with a small smile as she tapped a finger where she kissed Emma's chest. "Is where I like your heart and where it shall always remain."

Emma placed her hand over Regina's and laced their fingers. She brought their joined hands to her lap and slid forward in the chair. She leaned in and hooked two fingers under Regina's chin. She lifted Regina's head more and kissed the brunette. When she broke the kiss, she smiled at Regina.

"If you wish to stay in my good graces," Emma started. "One day you shall return his heart."

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Who died and made you Queen?"

"Nobody died," Emma grinned. "I'm just extremely confident in your feelings for me."

Regina laughed.

"What feelings?"

"Oh, that's right. The Evil Queen doesn't feel anything," Emma continued their banter. "You surely wouldn't feel this."

Emma leaned in again and kissed Regina's pulse point.

Regina hummed in response.

Emma smirked against Regina's neck as she continued to kiss her.

"My, my, Princess," Regina started in her low, sultry tone. "There may be an Evil Queen in you yet."

Emma throatily chuckled as she pulled away enough to meet Regina's gaze.

"Yet," Emma repeated the word as she casually, confidently sat back in the chair. "The Evil Queen I so desire in me says it's not time for that."

"It's not me that's denying you that," Regina said with slightly arched eyebrows and finished her sentence with pursed lips.

"You're right," Emma started as as leaned forward again. "And I'm thankful for your incredible patience."

Regina grinned.

"The day after tomorrow," Regina started.

"I'd like to show you off to some...allies of mine. Would you mind terribly sitting in on an 'evil round table?'"

"I suppose that's the price I shall pay for you graciously offering to teach me magic and horseback riding."

"No, my dear," Regina placed a hand on Emma's thigh. "That is the price I pay for your kindness. Accompanying me in front of those guests will be your choice. I will not force you and I will understand should you choose to explore the palace further instead."

"I have no need to explore," Emma smiled. "I want to spend the day at your side, if you'll allow me."

"Your presence will greatly please me," Regina warmly smiled.

Emma returned the smile before she closed the space between them and sweetly, though not so innocently, kissed Regina. Soft pink lips met plump red lips with a restrained fever.

Both maintained self-control as they held back, afraid to push too far and repeat the physical rejection from earlier.

After a moment, Emma broke the kiss and ran a hand through Regina's hair before she caressed the brunette's cheek.

"Now, finish this braid so I can see if I learned anything," Emma playfully demanded.

"You're starting to sound like me," Regina informed her with a grin.

"I've heard that people emulate those they admire," Emma said as Regina stood.

Emma turned back to the mirror as Regina's free hand returned to the almost completed braid.

"In this case, that might not be such a good thing for you."

"There's nothing you can do about it," Emma shrugged. "Stories of you were all I wanted to hear growing up. Even from a distance, you infected me with thoughts and dreams of you."

"Dreams, dear," Regina asked with a large dose of interest and pride.

"Wouldn't you like to know the nature of them," Emma teasingly evaded the question.

Regina chuckled and finished the braid without much other conversation between them.

They remained in a comfortable silence when Regina hadn't offered tips and tricks on how to design different types of braids or hadn't shared her personal technique with the blonde.

After several moments, the two of them switched places and Emma stood behind the chair, ready to braid Regina's soft, long brunette hair. During her transition from the chair to her feet, she noticed for the first time since she woke the absence of something in the room.

Emma furrowed her brow as she looked over toward the far corner while she started to separate Regina's hair into three strands.

"Problem?" Emma snapped her eyes back to the mirror and met Regina's gaze.

"Maybe," Emma answered. "Where is the cage?"

"During your recovery I wanted you to be comfortable. I kept you in my bed with me and found no need for the cage. Do you wish for me to conjure it again?"

"No," Emma answered all too quickly. "That is, if I still have a place of comfort to sleep."

"I have a few spare bed chambers, but I'm not sure I can trust you to stay here at the palace."

"You confessed that you stole a man's heart and used him to sate your sexual hunger. I'm still here, aren't I?"

Regina smiled.

"That much is true. Although, I don't trust easily."

"Did I not help keep my parents from attacking you or your palace?"

Regina's smile turned into a darkly satisfied grin.

"You really don't want to spend another night in the cage, do you," Regina stated instead of asked.

"I may have fallen asleep in a tree once or twice in my life, but that cage is awfully unsettling. I do believe my muscles are still in pain from such a strained sleeping position the first couple of nights I spent in there."

"I suppose there is a compromise for our situation." Emma silently questioned Regina with a single puzzled expression. "You could share my bed with me by choice," Regina offered. "If after a few nights I believe you will not run from me or the palace, I'll allow you to occupy one of the spare chambers if you wish."

Emma beamed.

"I would be honored. ...But keep your hands to yourself," Emma jokingly warned.

"I make no promises, my princess."

Emma only smiled in response then returned her focus to Regina's hair.

The sun had long set by the time Emma had finished braiding it.

As the Queen assessed her own hair in the mirror, she smiled.

"You've done much more than expected," Regina complimented the princess.

Emma beamed.

"I'm happy to have pleased you."

"I wonder what else you can learn and in such a short amount of time," Regina flirtatiously smirked.

Emma only grinned.

Regina knew Emma wouldn't say anything else and went on with the conversation.

"Ready for bed, dear?"

"Will you tell me what happened to the bird my mother wanted you to save?"

Regina smiled.

"Not much of a story left, but yes. I suppose I could tell you a bedtime story."

Emma lightly laughed and the two of them crossed the room. Regina claimed her side of the bed, the side Emma had woken up on, and pulled down the covers. Emma noticed the change in sides and quizzically furrowed her brow.

"Did you give up your side of the bed for me," Emma asked.

"Think nothing of it. I couldn't hold you very long and when I brought us back here, we were on my side of the bed. It was only fair punishment that I let you occupy my side since I couldn't bother to bring us in here on the other side of the bed."

"You let me sleep on your side of the bed," Emma beamed again.

Regina tried not to smile at Emma's admiring tone and blissful expression. The smallest and truest of smiles appeared on her face nevertheless.

"Would you like to find out what happened to the bird?"

Emma nodded though she knew the question was rhetorical.

"Then keep your my mouth shut and get into bed," Regina demanded, though without much demand at all.

Emma crawled into the bed with a smile. She settled in as Regina slid under the covers.

"Did the bird live," Emma asked as Regina adjusted in the bed to get comfortable.

"After your mother and the King were asleep," Regina resumed her story. "I went to check on the bird. It didn't look well, but I did everything I could. I even made this splint from twigs I found in the yard."

Emma looked riveted as she stared at Regina.

"I spent all my time and energy that night trying to get it to eat and fell asleep in a chair in doing so. It wasn't until things looked grim that I wanted nothing more than to be able to fix it."

Emma frowned.

Regina continued to tell the story at a distance as if she were reliving that part of her life.

"But I made my peace. In fact, I thought the bird was lucky. It would never have to suffer another day in this miserable world."

Emma reached out and ran a finger over the scar on Regina's upper lip. The touch pulled Regina out of her sadness. She looked over at Emma and half-smiled as she took the blonde's hand in hers.

"Your life was miserable, wasn't it," Emma said, though she feared she already knew the answer.

"There were plenty of bad days," Regina confessed.

"And you let the bird die, right? So it wouldn't have to struggle anymore, like you?"

Regina shook her head.

"I fell asleep watching the bird as it inched away from me. It wanted to be left alone, in the corner and not bothered. I empathized and fell asleep in the chair next to the end table I had the bird on."

"So what happened to the bird?"

"Impatient, are we?"

"I'm sorry. It's just... You're the bird, metaphorically speaking. I have to know what happened to the bird."

Regina's smile warmed.

"I woke up early the next morning, but not by choice," Regina resumed the story. "When I opened my eyes, the bird was edging itself toward the tip of the table. I waited to see what it would do and..."

Emma hung on Regina's every word at that point.

Regina could see Emma's fixation. She didn't deviate from the story because of it. She knew the blonde desperately wanted her to finish the story and she wouldn't keep it from the princess.

"It flew," Regina said.

Emma smiled.

"It didn't fly far, but it landed safely on the ground. It pecked at my feet and I knew. I knew it wanted to leave.

"I ran to your mother's bed chamber and insisted she see what became of the bird. We came back to the bird and I removed the splint I put on its broken wing. We watched it flap its wings a few times and then it flew to the window. It had a little trouble, but the bird made it."

Emma lit up a little at the small triumph.

"Your mother opened the window and after a minute or two, it left. I watched it sore through the sky, chirping as it lived to see another sunrise. I saw it fly into a day not filled with pain or uncertainty as time ticked away."

"You fought for your life," Emma said with a smile.

"As I lay here telling you this story, did you have your doubts," Regina asked with a laugh.

Emma rolled her eyes.

"I decided I would live another day," Regina said as she smiled at Emma.

She reached out and caressed Emma's cheek. She rubbed the pad of her thumb across fair skin as her smile faded.

"That same day I started planning my escape from the palace," Regina confessed.

"Why do you look so sad?"

"It was the day I started...to plot the King's death."

Emma looked as dejected and sad as Regina.

"Are you upset," Regina worriedly asked.

Emma shook her head.

"It's just... That was the day."

Regina furrowed her brow, lost as to what Emma meant.

"That was the day you became the Evil Queen."

It was Regina's turn to shake her head.

"I was the Evil Queen before that day. That day I just decided to go down with a fight."

"Go down?"

"I never thought I would live this long. There were many times when my life was threatened. There were many times when I thought, 'It's finally over.'"

Emma frowned with what appeared to be watery eyes. She leaned in and kissed Regina.

"If you hadn't survived," Emma started after she broke the kiss. "I wouldn't have ever met you and that...that would be a fate worse than being locked away behind a magical barrier for half of my life."

Regina smiled, an expression she could get used to again if it meant Emma would cause it.

"Sleep now, my dear," Regina said as she brushed away a stray strand of Emma's hair. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Regina," Emma warmly smiled.

"Goodnight, my dear Emma," Regina mirrored the blonde's smile.

* * *

Regina woke as the morning light streamed in through the extravagant curtains that shielded the balcony from view. She felt a warmth beside her, something she hadn't felt in years and even then it hadn't felt as right or natural. She slowly and carefully turned to see Emma loosely clinging to her side.

Emma's hand was casually draped over Regina's waist while her head peacefully rested on Regina's upper stomach, just below her chest. It was an odd position, but with no conscious witnesses Regina smiled at the sight.

She turned toward Emma, but not enough to cause the blonde to stir. She lifted her arm and reached over to brush long tresses out of the princess' face. She stared at Emma for a long moment before she slipped out of bed undetected. With a flick of the wrist, Regina dressed herself and turned back to Emma. She walked over to the other side of the bed and leaned over. She kissed Emma on the cheek and tried not to focus on the feeling in her chest that made her sad about leaving the blonde alone.

She sauntered out of her room, ever the queen, and called for the Huntsman.

He rushed to serve her.

"Your Majesty?"

"Keep an eye on the princess," Regina ordered. "Don't let her out of your sight. I'll be back in a short while."

"Would you like to keep her in your chambers," he asked.

"No. If she wants to walk around the palace, let her. She may go outside, but you shall not let her venture off. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," he gave a single nod and looked down at the floor.

"Good. Tell the kitchen staff to prepare their finest tonight. Let them know dinner will be a little later than usual, once the moon is out."

The Huntsman nodded again and Regina took her leave.

* * *

Regina had but one horse since Daniel's death and kept it in the stall farthest from his grave. She had thought about conjuring a new stable, one closer to her palace and away from such tragic and heartbreaking memories, but it almost felt like she would be cheating on her love by doing so. Instead, she decided since she'd only have the one horse anyway, she would honor Daniel's memory and keep the horse at the stables she loved and hated all the same. That also provided her with the painful reminder of why she'd turned to magic and how she'd become the Evil she ever lost sight of herself, one look at Daniel's grave would turn her eyes as coal black as her heart and she would live to fight another day.

However, she had a riding companion in Emma and still only one horse. As much fun as it would be to teach the princess how to ride by having the blonde's hands around her waist, it would do neither of them any good. Regina would be distracted and far too tempted and Emma would not learn how to ride independently. No, she needed another horse and she knew just where to get one.

Using the one horse she did have, Regina rode across the land like the free spirited girl she used to be and not at all like a queen let alone a lady. She had forgone riding clothes and opted for something more Evil Queen like, however. Her wardrobe housed several pairs of leather pants, another pair in which she wore as she rushed through one wooded area or another. She didn't like to wear her leather pants consecutively, but she had no use for long dresses or skirts while riding.

With her pants, she wore a a black corset with purple lacing up the front and sides along with black boots fit for most occasions. The sun had risen high in the sky though not quite directly overhead yet when Regina arrived at familiar stables on the outskirts of the kingdom. She slowed the horse's sprint to a gentle trot before she stopped in front of the not-so-pleasant looking stable.

She dismounted the horse and tied the reigns to the single post outside the stable doors. She stepped inside and took a look around at a few pure bred horses and a few more that weren't before a neighing horse alerted her to someone else's presence. She went to the stall with the fidgeting horse and smiled a genuine smile at it. She reached out and held her hand in front of the horse's eyes. Once the horse dipped its head as a sign of trust, she stroked the horse's nose.

"That's it," Regina cooed. "You're okay."

A grunt followed by a grumble came from beside the horse under the cover of the stall door. A man peeked out from scrapping the horse's back left hoof and smiled at the sight of the brunette woman on the other side of the stall.

"The Evil Queen returns," the man greeted. "And looking as magnificent as ever."

"Thank you," Regina grinned. "You look as handsome as the day I took that Mustang off your hands."

"Aw, you're too kind," the brown haired man not a day over forty said. "Are you in the market for another black beauty like your Mustang?"

"I am in the market, but not for a Mustang."

"What can I offer you then? An Arabian purebred or an American warmblood perhaps?"

"Actually, an American Quarter Horse would be preferable."

"Ah. A good choice, as usual. I just so happen to have one. A mare. I hope that's okay with you."

"It's fine. Show her to me."

The man pocketed his scraper and opened the stall door.

Regina took a step back to give him space to open the stall and closed it for him. She smiled at the horse she got to trust her and ran her hand down its nose again before she and the man crossed the room to another stall.

"Here she is," the man proudly stated. "Meet Rita."

"A rare name."

"It's more than rare. It means brave. She has the heart of a champion, but she's shy and tender. Almost innocent."

"Does she trust easily?"

"Yes and no. Show her your heart and she'll forever be loyal, but only if you're good-natured."

"Hmm. That may be a problem. She won't trust me and I need to take her back to my palace."

"Are you rehabilitating your beloved stable?"

"No. I'm teaching a young woman to ride. The horse will be hers."

"How is _her_ heart," the man asked as he ran his hand down Rita's side.

"Pure. Warm."

"Then Rita will surely be loyal to her and she'll be a good horse to learn to ride on as well."

"Will she at least follow with me to my palace? Allow me to hold her reigns?"

"Only one way to find out," the man said before he opened the stall door and led Rita outside.

* * *

Emma woke to the bright, late morning sun that poured in through the partially open drape curtain that blocked the balcony from view. She rolled onto her stomach and reached out to Regina's side of the bed only to find it empty. She frowned and propped herself up on her forearms.

"Regina?"

She called out to the room to no avail and looked around for any sign of the Queen. Nothing.

"Regina."

Emma worried she'd done something wrong the night before, asked too many questions, or maybe she wasn't Regina's after all like she thought. Maybe Regina still saw her as property. Maybe she was wrong to put her trust in the Queen, the Evil Queen that still held a grudge against her mother of all people. Emma decided to look for Regina throughout the palace and headed out of the bed chamber in search for the brunette.

On her way to the kitchen, her attention directed behind her as she walked forward, she ran straight into a strong and well-armored man.

"My apologies," Emma quickly said to the man. She looked up to see the man remove his helmet and scraggly brown hair and an unshaven beard appeared.

"It's alright, Princess," the man said. Emma furrowed her brow as she looked him over.

"Do I know you?"

"Your first night here I interrupted the Queen in her bed chambers. I'm the Huntsman."

"That's right," Emma said as realization and memory hit her. "The Huntsman. Uh, do you know where Regina - I mean, the Queen - is?"

"Her Majesty is out. She said you could walk around the palace, even venture outside."

"Oh," Emma said with an expression of disappointment.

The Huntsman caught sight of it and quizzically stared at the blonde. He looked her over for another moment before he spoke again.

"Would you like to go for a walk? Outside perhaps," he asked.

He didn't like to see that look on Emma's face. If the Huntsman was correct, the blonde who stood before him was not only a princess, but the one and only princess the kingdom was in an uproar about trying to get back. She was the daughter of Snow White, the daughter of the Queen's enemy.

"Actually, I'd like breakfast first," Emma said. "If you don't mind coming down to the kitchen with me."

The Huntsman smiled. He may have lost his heart in order to save the princess' mother, but he'd be damned if he'd let an already granted favor keep him from protecting the girl. The Evil Queen could not have her. Not on his watch. "Of course, Princess."

* * *

Regina rode back to her palace at a slower pace than previously set on her way to the out-of-the-way stable. Beside her own horse, Rita sped to keep up with a woman she wasn't sure she liked. Regina held onto Rita's reigns along with her own Mustang's reigns as she tried not to waste time. It was well into the afternoon when Regina placed Rita in a stall at her own stables, the stables that held one too many memories to secure her sanity. Every time she set foot on the property, her heart ached for long bursts of time as she crumbled under the reminder of what she lost there. Every time she left the stable, her heart grew colder and harder than before, which always surprised Regina, but didn't deter her from coming back.

After she locked Rita in one of the many empty stalls, she tied her Mustang to the post between Rita's stall and the empty one beside it before she walked out to Daniel's grave. She knelt in front of it and reached out with a sad expression on her face. She traced the heart on his grave with her fingertips and allowed the pain to wash over her like a wave of misery she knew all too well.

"Forgive me, Daniel," Regina spoke to the grave.

She lowered her hand into her lap and took a deep breath. As she released it, she reached into the small pocket embroidered into her lace corset and pulled out the ring she always carried with her.

_"If I am to marry you...then let's do this properly."_

Regina had watched him yank the ring off his own bag as they stood in the stables. With that ring, as he slid it onto her finger, he promised her a life of freedom, a life of love, a life of happiness, a life of feeling appreciated, a life of being cherished and considered, a life to be put before anyone else or used for political needs, a life to be herself and be with the one she loved.

She stared at the ring and after a moment, the inside glowed and an image of Daniel, the way she remembered him, appeared. He looked kind and soulful. His status didn't matter and his memory, as it was held in the glowing ring, showed his loyalty and his courage. He stood up for their love to Cora on that treacherous night and though his face the moment her mother ripped his heart out haunted her, she remembered him as the bold man that captured her heart and made her feel loved, made her feel wanted. Something her mother failed to make her feel. Something she struggled to see her father try to make her feel.

"I still love you," Regina told the image of Daniel as a tear streamed down her cheek. "I will always love you. But Emma..."

Regina trailed off as she thought about the blonde. She couldn't find it in her to smile, not when faced with the memory of Daniel. The image faded and she placed the ring back in her pocket. She continued to talk to the grave.

"It's not something I think I can explain. In fact, I know I can't. She just smiles and nothing else matters."

Regina laughed.

"Not even her mother Snow White. It's funny how my enemy becomes irrelevant when I look at Emma."

Regina sniffled and wiped away a tear before it could stain her cheek. She reached out again and placed her palm flat on the heart.

"I'm bringing her back here with me. I think it's about time, my love."

Regina stood and stared down at the grave for a moment longer before she got back on her Mustang and wasted no time getting back to her palace.

The sun was at its highest in the sky as she made her return trip, thoughts of touching Emma on the way back to stables fresh in her mind as she rode home. The more time she spent away from the princess that day, the more she realized how much she'd be willing to suffer in terms of self-restraint. She wanted to feel the blonde's hands on her hips or around her waist, the younger woman's chest pressed against her back while Emma's inner thighs hugged her outer thighs.

She didn't have to occupy her mind with fantasy any longer when she rode up to the palace entrance and made it reality. In the Huntsman's company, Emma sat in a tree off to the side. Her hair draped over the branch she laid on and her tresses flowed in the breeze. As Regina looked at her, she thought how she'd never seen as much sunlight at her palace as she had while Emma was around.

"Are you ready for your lesson, my dear," Regina called out to the blonde.

Emma twisted her body at the hips to see Regina standing by a black horse. She flashed a small smile and climbed down from the tree. She nodded to the Huntsman in acknowledgment and a silent thank you as she made her way to Regina.

"Where were you," Emma asked.

"I told you had something to take care of before your lesson. Did you miss me?"

Regina smiled as she asked Emma that question. She hoped the answer was yes because she certainly missed Emma.

"I'd kiss you, but we have an audience," Emma said as she took Regina's hand in hers and laced their fingers.

Regina looked over Emma's shoulder at the Huntsman. Regina could tell he was watching them, but he tried not to be obvious. He failed.

She grinned and looked at Emma again.

"I don't mind," Regina said as she stepped toward Emma and closed the small distance between them.

Their lips met in a lingering kiss that lasted several long seconds. The corners of Emma's mouth curled into smile the longer the two of them spent locked in a kiss. When they separated, she continued to smile as she opened her eyes.

"You must be proud of me to do that," Emma said.

"I am proud of you," Regina started. "But I don't need to be proud to do that in front of him."

"Do you have to be proud to kiss me again," Emma asked with a smile and a flicker of hope in her eyes.

Regina smirked and leaned in again. She wrapped her arm around Emma's waist and held the other woman flush against her. She slid her tongue across Emma's bottom lip for entry and didn't have to wait long for access.

Emma appreciatively hummed into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around Regina's neck. She pulled Regina closer and surprised herself and the brunette that it was even possible for her to do so.

Regina kept her hands from wandering and broke the kiss. She'd have plenty of time to feel Emma on the ride to the stables.

"You never answered my question," Regina said as she continued to hold Emma close after the kiss. "Are you ready for your lesson?"

"Yes," Emma beamed.

"I left you a surprise at the stables. You'll have to ride with me there before we can start your lesson," Regina informed her.

"Okay."

"Do you at least know how to get on a horse?"

"I do, but that doesn't mean I'll be successful," Emma lightly laughed.

Regina smiled and watched Emma walk up to the Mustang's side. She stood close enough to Emma in case the blonde needed her help as the princess stuck one foot in the stir-up.

Emma grabbed hold of the saddle and hoisted herself straight up then tossed her leg over the horse. She pulled herself completely onto the saddle and struggled to sit comfortably, but she did manage to get on the horse.

Regina stared at Emma as the blonde fidgeted on the saddle and almost laughed at the cuteness of her effort. Of course, since Emma got on the horse first Regina would have to get behind her. All new fantasies traveled through her mind at the simple sight of Emma on her Mustang. She shook the thoughts free and joined Emma on the horse.

"Don't forget, Huntsman," Regina called to the man. "Dinner will be later than usual tonight. Let the cook know."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the Huntsman responded with a single nod.

He disdainfully watched the Queen wrap her arms around Emma and take the reigns. Emma, by order of the brunette, placed her hands on the Queen's and Regina guided the horse away from the palace.

Emma giggled as the horse started a slow trek toward the stables. She knew Regina only had the Mustang go slow for her benefit and the thought alone caused her to smile. The rest of her giddiness could only be blamed on Regina's actions as she purposely squeezed her thighs around Emma's.

Regina felt Emma lean back into her and smiled. She almost rested her chin on the crook of Emma's neck but instead kept her head in the general area, careful not to hit herself in the face due to the rocky ride the horse on uneven ground provided. She did, however, settle for a kiss on Emma's neck. One kiss on the blonde's pulse point followed by another and then a moan.

"Unless you plan on teaching me how to ride something other than a horse, I suggest you stop before we get ahead of ourselves," Emma said with a smile.

Though Regina couldn't see the smile, she heard it in Emma's voice. She lightly laughed in reply.

"Don't give me ideas, dear," Regina purred in Emma's ear before she nipped at her earlobe.

"Maybe I should," Emma said as she turned her head to look over her shoulder at Regina.

Regina wickedly grinned then directed her attention at the surrounding area to ensure they made it to the stables without falling off the horse.

"Only if you're prepared for me to attack you. Get me started and I might not stop," Regina warned.

Emma closed her eyes and relaxed further into Regina.

"I think I'll stay committed to horseback riding for the time being," Emma admitted, eyes still closed.

Regina throatily chuckled and pulled her head away from Emma's neck.

"Okay. But if you change your mind, I'm great at multitasking," Regina smirked and slowly reached up under Emma's shirt.

Regina cupped Emma's breast and received a long moan that sounded nothing like the sweet and innocent Emma she knew.

"I may be patient, Emma," Regina purred again. "But I know there's not one other person on this Earth I want to touch as much as you. The day you let me in will be the day I will never forget."

* * *

Regina rode her horse into the stables and stopped just within the entrance. She ran her hands up and down Emma's outer thighs with a grin.

"Ready for your surprise?"

Emma's eyes slipped closed and she released the reigns. She moved her hands to cover Regina's as the brunette massaged her upper thighs, but she didn't stop her.

"Depends on the surprise," Emma replied.

Still on the horse, Regina brought her hands to the top of Emma's pants and started to undo them.

Emma bit her lip and felt a newly developed heat between her legs. She leaned her full weight on Regina's front and rested her hands on Regina's thighs as she spread her legs. Her heart raced with anticipation and her body screamed to be touched.

Regina reached into Emma's pants and felt the younger woman's sex over her panties. Her own wetness started to pool between her legs as she felt Emma's arousal. She groaned and buried her face in Emma's neck. She stayed in that position for a while with her hand cupped over Emma's center, her face hidden in blonde tresses. Finally, she lifted her head to speak but kept her hand in place.

"This isn't your surprise," Regina said with a husky, gravelly voice.

"I still like it," Emma said just above a whisper.

Regina squeezed her eyes shut tight and fought the urge to continue as her fingertips inched closer to Emma's opening.

"Do it," Emma begged.

Regina usually didn't have to be told twice, but a familiar tug at her heart told her to wait. She stopped her descent and removed her hand from Emma's pants.

Emma groaned as she felt the loss of contact her body ached for even before Regina pulled away.

"You stopped this time," Emma pointed out.

"I know," Regina said. "But you wanted a riding lesson and I'll give you one. ...You have no idea how hard it is for me to be here."

"Then give me an idea."

Regina dismounted the horse like the longtime rider she was and held out a hand to Emma.

"Come on," Regina avoided Emma's request. "I want to give you your surprise."

Emma stared down at Regina as she herself remained on the horse. She could see the pain in Regina's eyes as the brunette tried to hide her emotions. In that moment, she gave Regina privacy and took the brunette's hand.

Emma threw her leg over the horse's head and sat side saddle before she hopped off the horse and into Regina's arms.

Regina caught Emma with her body as the blonde staggered into her. As she held Emma's hand with one of her own, she wrapped an arm around Emma's waist to steady the other woman as their bodies collided flush against each other. She lightly laughed as she held Emma close and stopped their swaying.

Emma smiled.

"We'll work on your landing," Regina teased as she held Emma away from herself to look at her.

Emma's smile spread and a blush crept across her cheeks. Regina kept Emma's hand in hers and led the blonde toward the far stall. She stopped in front of the stall and looked at the horse Rita before she looked at Emma for her reaction.

Rita stood against the back wall of her stall gnawing on hay.

Emma looked over the horse and stared at it in confusion. The horse seemed calm with its head down while it enjoyed a meal, but she didn't understand the surprise yet.

"This is Rita," Regina introduced her to the horse.

"Is she...mine," Emma asked and hoped she didn't sound too self-centered to think that.

"Yes," Regina smiled as she took pleasure in Emma's timidness and puzzlement.

Emma's face gradually lit up before she turned to Regina and beamed.

"You bought me a horse?!"

"Well, I wasn't going to let you take mine out for your first ride," Regina said with dark, glittering eyes.

Before Regina could gauge another one of Emma's expressions in terms of happiness, the blonde lunged at her. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's neck and crashed their lips together in a heated kiss.

Regina got over the initial shock of the unexpected act and slowly wrapped her arms around Emma's waist. She held the blonde close and kissed back with as much intensity as she received. Within a few moments, she slipped her tongue out and flicked Emma's upper lip to silently ask for permission to enter.

Emma discretely slid her tongue between Regina's parted red lips and glided over the other woman's slick pink tongue in response.

Regina moaned into the kiss and her senses kick started straight into overdrive. She squeezed Emma further against her and their bodies almost melted into one. A fever wave flooded her system and she spun Emma away from the horse's stall. She pinned the princess against the nearby wall of the stables and pressed a hand against the wall while the other pushed against Emma's left hip. Without warning or hesitation, she clawed at Emma's shirt and every time the blonde arched her back to bring herself closer to Regina, the brunette pushed her hard against the wall. Her nails raked down Emma's shirt to the blonde's undone pants. She pulled the pants down to Emma's thigh on the left side only and slid her knee between Emma's legs.

Emma moaned and pressed her center down onto Regina's knee. Her hands went from being around Regina's neck to ravenously clawing at Regina's shoulders and biceps.

Their teeth gnashed several times as their kiss intensified more and more with each touch. Their bodies arched toward and brushed against each other. Their hands roamed and their hair tangled as brunette locks and blonde tresses fell everywhere around their shoulders and heaving chests.

Suddenly, the magnetic pull returned to Regina. At the same time she felt drawn to and desperate for Emma, the magnetic feeling pulled Regina away from Emma more than it pulled her to the blonde in that moment.

Regina pushed off the wall with the one hand she kept pressed to it and backed away several feet from the princess. She panted as she lifted her left hand, the one that worked to get into Emma's pants only seconds prior, to her mouth. She swiped her thumb under her bottom lip and brushed her index finger across the top of her upper lip to clear away smudged lipstick.

Emma breathed as erratically as Regina, her eyes locked on the brunette with shock and bewilderment in them.

"Did I do something wrong," Emma asked.

Regina shook her head as she struggled to catch her breath.

"No, I'm stopping us again," Regina told her.

"Why?"

"This isn't how it's going to happen. Today isn't the day you'll let me in and certainly not over a horse."

Emma thought about Regina's statement and after a moment or two, she knew it to be the truth. She also recognized a hidden truth within the same statement.

"It might not be the day I let you in," Emma started as she slowly stepped toward Regina. "But maybe it's the day you let _me _in."

"Emma-"

"I want you."

Regina paused as she looked over Emma. She saw the sincerity in the younger woman's words deeply conveyed in emerald green eyes only darkened by desire.

"If you're not ready to be touched _by_ someone, what makes you think you're ready _to_ touch someone?"

"You don't know how well or how tragically I can ride a horse and yet, you ran out and bought me one. You let me roam the palace and today you even let me go outside. Even though I was guarded, I still felt free to do as I pleased and I've only been at your palace a few days. You say you don't trust easily, but no one has ever trusted me the way you have. _That _is how I know I'm ready to touch _you_."

Emma reached out and took Regina's hand in hers.

Regina looked down at their joined hands then back up into green eyes.

Emma led Regina out the back end of the stables and searched the surrounding area for somewhere to get comfortable. All she saw were hay bales and grass. Just as she started to give up, way too soon, she remembered she had magic. She didn't know much about it and couldn't do much with it, but she at least knew the principles. Emma closed her eyes and focused. She thought about what she needed and when she opened her eyes, a puff of red smoke appeared. When it cleared, a blanket of the same color covered a good portion of the grass in front of them.

Regina grinned when she saw it and closed the space between them. She wrapped her arms around Emma's waist from behind and embraced the blonde.

"That's my girl," Regina purred in her ear.

"I'm only as good as you made me," Emma complimented the brunette as she rested her arms over top of Regina's.

After a moment of silent understanding between the two of them, Emma spoke again.

"Um..." Emma trailed off, obviously nervous. "It might help if I...hear sounds of encouragement or something? I want to know I'm doing what you want."

Regina grinned.

"I promise you'll know when I like something, but I have a question. May I be on top?"

Emma blushed like an awkward teenager.

"Yes, please," Emma replied.

Regina switched their positions and led Emma to the blanket. She walked backward until she felt the grass turn into wool. She spun them around again and held Emma's hand as the blonde lowered herself onto the blanket.

Emma remained in a sitting position as she looked up at Regina who stood standing. She let go of Regina's hand and basked in the sight of Regina above her. Regina looked around and made sure no one could see her other than Emma. With no one else around, she reached behind herself and untied the purple lace that held together her corset. She maintained eye contact with the princess and finished the last of the lace. She removed her corset and allowed Emma to look at her bare breasts and taut stomach.

Emma bit her bottom lip as she stared.

Regina let go of the corset and it fell onto the edge of the blanket. She eased out of her pants and left them where they landed around her ankles as she stepped out of them. She knelt in front of Emma and placed her hands on the princess' knees.

Emma leaned back on her hands and slowly opened her legs for Regina.

"No," Regina soothingly said.

Regina guided Emma's legs flat against the blanket and moved up the other woman's body before she straddled Emma's hips.

"It's okay to lay back," Regina softly said.

Emma slowly laid back and some of her hair cascaded around her face and shoulders, most of it trapped between her shoulder blades under her back.

"May I see you," Regina asked.

Emma nodded and tangled her hair against the blanket as she did. Regina pushed the hem of Emma's shirt up her stomach and to her chest. Emma gasped when Regina grazed her breasts.

Regina froze and didn't raise the shirt any further.

"Is this okay," Regina asked as she kept her hands still on Emma's body and stared into the blonde's eyes.

"Yes," Emma answered.

Regina slid her hands to Emma's sides and brushed the sides of Emma's breasts as she lifted the shirt above her chest.

Emma curled the top half of her body toward Regina to free her shirt from her own weight.

Regina removed the shirt and gracefully tossed it aside in the same direction as her corset.

Emma laid back again and watched as Regina followed her down.

Regina passionately, slowly kissed Emma. She placed her hands on either side of Emma's head and started a slow grind against Emma's lower abdomen.

Emma whimpered into the kiss as she felt the friction on her stomach. Regina opened her mouth wider in a silent moan at not only the sound of Emma's whimper but the vibration against her lips.

"I'll try to go as slow as you need, but," Regina started as her lips brushed against Emma with every word she spoke. "I may go a little fast for you. Okay?"

"Mhmm," Emma hummed as she placed her hand on the back of Regina's neck and pressed plump lips against her own not-so-full lips for another kiss.

With her free hand, Emma grazed her palm over one of Regina's breasts. When the heel of her palm brushed up against Regina's nipple, Emma felt Regina's moan before she heard it. She ran her hand down Regina's breast and swiped the pad of her thumb over Regina's nipple.

Regina hummed and picked up her pace against Emma's lower abdomen.

Emma brought her other hand down and mirrored her actions for Regina's neglected nipple.

Regina broke the kiss as she tore her lips away from Emma's and pressed her sex down on Emma's stomach.

Emma felt a warmth not entirely her own on her stomach before she felt a wetness to it. She stared up at Regina and noticed she kept her eyes squeezed tight as though she were fighting something. Emma replaced a hand on Regina's breast with her tongue as she teasingly flicked Regina's nipple.

Regina whimpered, her face contorted into an expression of desperation.

"More," Regina rasped out.

Emma looked up at Regina, her eyes still closed, as she hesitated. After a moment, she slowly ran the flat of her tongue over Regina's nipple then swirled it in a circle around the hardened nub. She made circles with the pad of her thumb over Regina's other nipple and heard the brunette moan as a reward.

Emma slid her right hand down Regina's side and stopped at Regina's hip. Her hand moved with every roll of Regina's hips as the other woman continued to grind against her stomach. She waited until she picked up on the rhythm before she slid her hand between Regina's thighs.

Regina's eyes shot open as she felt Emma's fingers hit her clit. She lifted her sex a few inches off Emma's body to give the blonde access.

Emma trapped Regina's nipple between her lips and sucked on it while she changed the direction of her circles from counterclockwise to clockwise over the other.

Regina moaned louder and silenced herself as she pulled her breast away from Emma's mouth and crashed their lips together in a fiery kiss.

Emma unintentionally slowed every one of her ministrations and caused Regina to take action. Regina continued to kiss Emma as she took Emma's right hand in hers. She guided Emma's fingers over and around her own clit and broke the kiss to nip at the younger woman's neck.

After a few moments, Regina's lips, tongue, and teeth unrelenting against her neck, she slid her fingers past Regina's clit until they briefly, teasingly dipped into Regina.

Regina bit harder on impulse as Emma failed to be where she needed her. She didn't blame Emma, of course, but she needed more.

Emma groaned in slight pain then turned her head toward Regina in an attempt to stop her from biting.

Regina felt Emma smother her, trap her head between Emma's head and shoulders, and retracted her teeth from fair skin.

Emma rolled her head away from Regina and opened her eyes as she looked up at the sky above them.

Regina pulled away from Emma's neck and blocked the blonde's view.

Emma adjusted focus and stared straight up at the brunette. Regina rolled her hips forward with an overly charismatic thrust and forced two of Emma's fingers inside herself. She never took her eyes off Emma throughout the action. She wanted to hold back the small scream of pleasure she felt the movement deserved, but she knew Emma wanted to know what she did right. Regina let the small scream leave her lips then she pulled away from Emma's fingers before she slid down onto them again.

"Just like that," Regina struggled to say with erratic breathing and a soft voice.

Emma followed Regina's logic and remembered the rhythm from earlier when she had a hand on Regina's hip. She moved her fingers in and out of Regina at the same pace while the other woman continued to roll her hips. Emma bit her lip as she felt herself inside Regina. She broke eye contact with Regina as she closed her eyes and bucked her hips toward the brunette.

"My dear," Regina called to Emma in a near whisper. "Look at me."

Emma took a few ragged breaths before she opened her eyes.

Regina smiled down at Emma before she felt the younger woman curl her fingers on an inward thrust.

"Oh," Regina breathed out in exclamation. "You're doing so well."

Emma slowly smiled at the compliment as she watched Regina meet her halfway in movements. She pushed forward, into Regina, while Regina slid onto her fingers the rest of the way. Her knuckles disappeared within Regina every other thrust. Then a new feeling hit Emma.

Regina's walls started to clench around Emma's fingers.

"I'm...so...close," Regina said between breaths.

"What else can I do," Emma asked.

Regina moved and brought her nipple, the one unaffected by Emma's tongue, to the woman's lips.

Emma understood and licked Regina's nipple before she took it completely into her hot mouth.

Regina emitted a long moan and refused to silence it. She panted a few more times as she felt herself losing control. She couldn't hold on much longer nor did she want to. Though she'd had the Huntsman in her bed, twenty-eight years was a long time to wait to feel like Emma made her feel. The blonde barely knew what she was doing and yet, she filled Regina with much more pleasure than the brunette thought she could ever feel.

Regina reached between her own legs and rubbed circles over her clit several times before she let go.

"Emma," Regina moaned as she reached her release.

Both women felt a rush of wet warmth pool between Regina's legs as the brunette slowed her pace against Emma's fingers.

Emma followed Regina's lead and slowed down, but she didn't stop until Regina puffed out a contented sigh and almost collapsed on top of her. Though she stopped, she didn't remove her fingers.

Regina took a minute to collect herself before she reached down and grabbed Emma's wrist. She started to help Emma pull her coated fingers out of herself, but the blonde stopped her with a single word.

"Please."

Regina's eyes hurried to find Emma's and the two of them stared at each other in silence.

"Just a few more minutes," Emma finally asked.

Regina smirked and leaned in for a breathless kiss. She relaxed onto Emma and allowed the woman to keep her fingers where they resided.

"A few more minutes," Regina agreed as she rested her head on the front of Emma's shoulder. "Then we begin your riding lesson."

Emma grinned.

"Horseback riding," Regina quickly clarified as she sensed the blonde's grin.

Emma lightly laughed.

"Best day of my life," Emma confessed.

A smile slowly appeared on Regina's face.

"Tell me I can do this every day," Emma said.

Regina chuckled.

"You can do this when I say you can do this."

"And when do you think the next time I'll be able to do this will be?"

"That is undetermined." Emma frowned.

Regina picked up on the woman's saddened mood though she couldn't see Emma's face.

"But a job well done, my dear," Regina purred with a grin. Emma smugly smiled.

Regina took the opportunity to kiss her way down Emma's chest until she reached one of Emma's nipples. She flicked the tip of her tongue over it then looked up at Emma to see her reaction.

Emma's breath hitched and she looked down at Regina.

"You're welcome," Regina said with a grin.

Emma furrowed her brow.

"For what?"

"The horse."

Emma slowly smirked.

"I heard your thank you loud and clear," Regina continued before she pushed down on Emma's fingers again to emphasize her point. Emma lightly laughed.

"Don't expect me to satisfy you like this every time you give me something nice," Emma teased.

Regina throatily chuckled then began to suck on Emma's nipple.

Emma's eyes fluttered closed and she gave herself a moment to revel in the feeling. When she opened her eyes, she brushed her thumb over Regina's clit and moved her fingers around inside the other woman.

Regina moaned against Emma's breast and almost started another rhythm with her hips before she grabbed Emma's wrist and slowly removed Emma's fingers from herself. At the same time, she pulled her mouth away from Emma's nipple with a pop and grinned down at Emma with a devious gleam in her eyes.

"Get me started again and things may get rough," Regina warned.

"Hmm. I'll keep that in mind."

Emma brought her coated fingers to her lips and kept them less than an inch away when she stared straight into darkened brown eyes.

"Let's see how you really taste."

* * *

**A/N:** _ Hopefully I can get another chapter out soon, but no guarantees. So, what do you think about Regina letting Emma in? __Don't forget to review. Those always make my day._ :D


	8. Chapter 8

_Regina moaned against Emma's breast and almost started another rhythm with her hips before she grabbed Emma's wrist and slowly removed Emma's fingers from herself. At the same time, she pulled her mouth away from Emma's nipple with a slight pop and grinned down at Emma with a devious gleam in her eyes._

_"Get me started again and things may get rough," Regina warned._

_"Hmm. I'll keep that in mind."_

_Emma brought her coated fingers to her lips and kept them less than an inch away when she stared straight into darkened brown eyes._

_"Let's see how you taste."_

Bittersweet.

She was right.

Emma smiled as she sucked on her coated fingers a second time, still underneath Regina on the red blanket outside the stables.

Regina remained motionless on top of Emma's hips with a slack jaw as she watched the younger woman taste her.

"Not at all an acquired taste," Emma grinned as she brought her cleaned fingers back to Regina's center.

Regina moaned as she fell forward, her breasts inches away from Emma's lips once again, when Emma ran her fingers through her wetness.

"Am I the only thing you've had to eat today," Regina huskily asked as she looked down into green eyes.

Emma hummed as she continued to grin up at Regina. She pulled back her hand, her fingers coated once again, and licked one finger before she took it completely into her mouth. She began to suck it clean when Regina's eyes darkened and she leaned in.

Regina mirrored Emma's action and licked Emma's other finger before she sucked it clean at the same time the blonde cleaned the one in her own mouth.

Emma arched her back and pressed her covered center against Regina's partially exposed center. She placed her free hand on one of Regina's bare thighs as she moaned at the feel of Regina's hot mouth on her finger.

Emma's hand fell away from both their mouths and Regina leaned in further. She captured Emma's soft lips in a slow yet heated kiss and tasted herself on Emma's tongue. She hummed into the blonde's mouth moments before she broke the kiss and pulled back to lock eyes with the younger woman.

"There may be use for you yet, Princess," Regina grinned down at Emma before she screwed up her face in confusion.

"Have you ever pleased another woman before?"

Emma shook her head and tangled her hair against the blanket under her.

"No. Just myself. Have you?"

"One. Although, it was only a few times and it wasn't all that good so I wouldn't really count it as such."

"Who?"

"An old friend of mine. Her name is Maleficent."

"And you two are not...?"

Regina shook her head with a small smile.

"No, my dear. We never were together and we're no longer friends."

"May I ask what happened between you?"

"I turned her into a dragon to get the dark curse back from her. She would not relinquish it so...I felt it was only fair she suffer."

"Then I am on your side. She should have given it back to you. I'm not sure I would have turned her into a dragon, but I understand you're frustration."

Regina brushed the pad of her index finger down the blonde's cheek and traced her jaw line.

"You are truly amazing, my dear," Regina complimented the woman. "It's hard for me to believe you are the product of Snow White and Prince Charming. No offense, dear, but those two idiots rarely do anything I can commend. But you... You're the one thing I actually believe they did right."

Emma sadly smiled.

"Was I right to run away then," Emma asked.

"Oh," Regina frowned as she felt a pang in her chest. "You were. If you had been in my palace, under my rules, I would not confine you to the kingdom the way they had. You deserved to roam, to find happiness."

Something struck inside Emma as suddenly she remembered a small, but key, piece of information that didn't sit right with her.

"The night of my birth, you came looking for me. What would you have done with me had you taken me then?"

"I would have raised you, I guess. That wasn't how I saw it at the time, but that is more or less what I would have done. The only thing I cared about was your mother's unhappiness. It would have killed her to see you with me, unable to raise you or even hold you."

"'Would have'," Emma asked. "As if to imply you no longer feel that way?"

"I still wish your mother a great deal of unhappiness. It's why she'll fight me for you. She's more of a pacifist when it comes to certain things, though."

Emma nodded.

"Yes, she uses her words more than anything else. Not to say she isn't strong. Although, compared to you..."

Regina grinned.

"Why thank you, my dear."

"I really don't want to talk about my mother right now, though," Emma said as she scanned her eyes over Regina's mostly bare body.

"Of course," Regina curly nodded. "We should really get to your lesson anyway."

Emma watched Regina push off the ground and onto her feet. She stared up at Regina's body in all its glory.

Regina adjusted her underwear and fluffed out her hair before she grabbed her clothes and redressed.

"You're beautiful," Emma said. "You know that?"

Regina didn't know what to say. She stood, speechless, as she unnecessarily smoothed out her bodice.

Emma noted it was probably a nervous habit. Regina tended to do such a thing to ensure she always looked her best.

_Can't have a queen look like the commoners, _Emma mused as she attempted to channel Regina's thought process and reason.

"Thank you," Regina quietly said.

She took a minute before she stepped closer to Emma again. She extended her hand to the blonde in offering.

Emma smiled and took it.

Regina pulled Emma to her feet.

"Ready for your lesson?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

* * *

Emma landed with a thud and a grunt as the air immediately left her lungs.

Rita whinnied and trotted in a victorious circle as she haughtily shook her mane at Emma.

Regina chuckled atop her own steed.

"She must trust you before you can ride her," Regina explained.

Emma, flat on her stomach as she laid face down in the dirt, looked up at the Queen.

"We are still talking about the horse, yes," Emma asked.

Regina wickedly grinned.

"In this case, yes. But it can be said about _people _too. You trusted me enough to do such a thing."

Emma's cheeks flushed a rosy pink.

"Up," Regina commanded.

Emma slowly got to her feet, ungraceful and covered in dirt.

"Clearly, this is going to take longer than I thought."

"Longer as in more than one lesson?"

"Perhaps. I did buy you a horse. I expect you to use it, but I will not allow you to ride without supervision until I feel you're ready."

Emma dusted herself off.

"Yes, Regina."

"Who do you see me as," Regina asked as she realized the differences between the way Emma addressed her then and the way she'd addressed her before the lesson started.

"I see you as Regina," Emma innocently answered.

"You do not see me as a Queen? As the _Evil _Queen?"

"I see you as a Queen, but you are not _my _Queen."

Regina nodded.

"Is that a problem?"

Regina shook her head.

"No, my dear. Call me what you wish so long as it is not an insult."

"Understood."

"Back on the horse," Regina ordered.

Emma turned back to Rita and raised her hand, her palm faced to the horse. She waited for the horse to slow to a stop in front of her.

Rita sniffed Emma's hand then snorted and bowed her head. She nudged Emma's hand under her nose and caused the princess to smile.

"Good," Regina said.

Emma stroked the horse's nose a few times. She pulled her hand away and held it at a distance, still in front of Rita's eyes, but no longer rewarding.

Rita found Emma's hand with her eyes. She took a step back from Emma then remained still once in place.

Emma slowly lowered her hand down to her side and came to stand beside Rita.

"Good girl," Emma cooed as she grabbed the saddle and stuck her foot in the stirrup.

Emma pulled herself up then swung her other leg over the horse. She looked more fluid in the action than she had when they first arrived.

"Excellent," Regina praised with a grin, a lustful – if not proud – gleam in her sparkling brown eyes.

Regina gently tugged on her reins and made her own steed trot over to Emma and Rita.

"Shall we race," Regina teased with a grin.

Emma sensed the tone and smirked.

"You don't think I can," Emma stated.

"You're right, my dear. I don't."

Emma held her head high with authority.

"Then we _shall _race. Winner gets the other to serve them dinner like a slave this evening."

Regina chuckled.

"Is that the deal you really want to make with me?"

"It is."

Regina scanned her eyes over every inch of Emma as the blonde sat atop her horse.

"Then the deal is struck."

Regina waved her hand at the forest and expelled wisps of translucent purple magic from her fingers to a space between two trees in the distance.

"Race me to the barrier there," Regina pointed at the magical net she'd created. "And the first to make it back to the stables wins."

"Good," Emma nodded then took a moment to look around. "Now how do I steer?"

Regina laughed. She brought herself to Emma's side, both horses faced in the same direction. She reached over and placed a hand on Emma's wrist before she spoke.

"To guide the steed left, you pull the reigns to your right and vice versa. Although, I'm not sure if this horse was trained to follow that order. You may need to try spurs in the steed's sides."

Emma frowned.

"I don't like that idea. I don't want to hurt the horse."

Regina stroked the pad of her thumb over the back of Emma's hand.

"Worry not. I know the man that may have trained this horse and he prefers not to use spurs himself."

"Good," Emma smiled and nodded.

Regina smiled as well.

"Pull back on the reins to stop," Regina instructed. "Think you're ready?"

"Mhmm."

"You'll make an excellent slave," Regina grinned.

Emma held her head high again. She looked defiant and ever the feisty, rebellious princess Regina knew her to be.

"We'll see who makes an excellent slave," Emma replied.

"Then let's get on with it."

Both women whipped the reins and took off toward the magical net between the trees.

Regina didn't hold back. She sped toward the net, all too practiced in horseback riding not to succeed. She looked behind her to see Emma could actually keep up. She was indeed behind, but not by much.

Emma fought to stay on the horse and bounced up and down on the saddle the faster she sped toward Regina. Nevertheless, she kept her concentration and tried to at least remain upright until she made it to the finish line.

Regina wanted to challenge the princess. The blonde had been hidden, kept away from the likes of the Evil Queen, but seemed strong enough to handle herself. Emma continued to try and prove she shouldn't have been stuck behind a barrier for so long. Regina wouldn't be the one to deny Emma a chance to prove just that.

Regina cut across the forest and jumped over a log right in front of Emma, which caused the girl to pull back on her reins and almost stop in an instant.

Regina chuckled with a devious grin and a wicked gleam in her eyes.

Emma deeply exhaled through her nose and set her jaw. She sharply glared at Regina and tightened her grip on the reins. She whipped the reins and clicked her teeth to get Rita to take off toward the magical net again. More determined than ever, Emma charged after Regina and around the log.

Regina could taste her own magic in the back of her throat as she approached the cascading waves of purple magic. She could see the magical net almost in her reach. Then, out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Emma.

Regina dropped her haw in surprise before she curled her lips into another grin.

Emma bit her bottom lip as she focused much harder than before. She commanded her steed with the reins and tried to reenact Regina's previous move. She cut across the forest and passed right in front of the Queen. She nearly collided with Regina's Mustang as she barely moved faster than the brunette. She didn't seem to notice, however, that she'd almost crashed into Regina.

Regina noticed all too well, though, and fiercely pulled back on her reins to prevent the accident. She came to an almost complete stop and watched as Emma burst through the magical net.

Purple engulfed the blonde as it washed over her like rain. She briefly basked in the glow it provided her and turned her horse around to face the stables.

Regina slowly trotted past the place her magic once marked and saw Emma sprint off with Rita toward the stables, a wide and bright smile on her face. She briefly smiled at the sight, but it faded as she too turned and followed Emma back to the stables.

_I may have underestimated you_, Regina thought as she raced even faster toward the no longer existent net.

She whipped the reins and brought her Mustang up to speed. Within several seconds, she was hot on Emma's heels. She kept the blonde in her sight, her focus primarily on the princess the closer she got to riding side by side with her.

Emma zeroed in on the sables, her focus solely set on her final destination. But it wasn't about where she was going, it was about what getting there would give her. A chance to rule over the Queen even for only a night was a prize she desperately wanted to claim.

That wasn't an option for Regina.

The Queen had spent years under everyone else's thumbs. Her mother, the King, Rumpelstiltskin. She had finally achieved power and for once in her life, she had control. As proud as it would make her to see Emma succeed, she refused to let anyone dominate her like she had been for far too long.

Regina pushed her steed to go as fast as he could once the forest broke apart to reveal the stables. It didn't take long before she got the blonde's attention, both of them equal with each other yet again.

She grinned at Emma, victorious.

Emma parted her lips in a silent gasp as Regina's expression conveyed the events to come within the next few seconds.

Her defeat.

Regina pushed her steed more than she'd ever pushed him in years. She knew he'd need a few days to recuperate after the exhausting race, but it would be worth it. Just as the horse started to huff in complaint of overexertion, Regina reached out a hand and tapped the side of the stable in passing before she slowed her horse to a stop.

Emma frowned as she slowed her horse as well, but didn't stop until she reached the side of the stable Regina had touched.

Regina chuckled as she turned around and trotted back to Emma.

"You did well, my dear," Regina said as her chuckle subsided. "But I'm afraid I was always going to be the one to win."

Emma looked down at her hands as she continued to clutch the reins. She couldn't look at Regina, afraid of what her loss truly cost her.

Regina recognized the sadness and slight worry in Emma's expression. She stopped her steed in front of Emma and dismounted. She walked over to the princess and rested a hand on Emma's left thigh as the younger woman remained on her horse.

"Fear not, dear. You may act as a slave tonight, but I will do nothing to harm or hurry you."

Emma looked over and down at Regina before the brunette continued.

"I will not take from you what you do not offer."

She removed her hand from Emma's thigh and held out both hands to spot Emma.

Emma took the hint and threw one leg over the horse before she slid down its side and joined Regina with two feet firmly planted on the ground.

Regina placed her hands on Emma's hips and held the blonde against her, the princess' back flush against her front.

"Will you humiliate me," Emma timidly asked.

"What would you have done to me had you won?"

Emma slowly smiled.

Regina quickly found her smile to be infectious as she herself mirrored the expression.

"I would have made you bring food up to the bed chamber and serve me every bite."

"Really?"

The question sounded more like a statement while Regina's tone suggested amusement.

Emma nodded and continued.

"I would have made you address me as 'Your Highness' and bow down to me. Then I'd make you dance for me and I'd decide whether or not I would touch you depending on how well you performed."

Regina's eyes darkened with desire as she smirked and bit her bottom lip. She remained behind Emma and lowered her gaze to fair colored flesh concealed by blonde tresses draped over her shoulder.

"Anything else," Regina asked as she leaned in and brushed away a few tresses with her nose before she gently bit down on Emma's neck.

"I'd make you beg for me to touch you. Even if I'm not good at pleasing you, you could guide me to give you the satisfaction you crave. That is what I'd make you beg for."

Regina moaned against Emma's neck as she began to place wet kisses on it.

The vibration it caused traveled from Emma's pulse point to between her legs. She clenched her thighs together in an attempt to ward off her desire.

"You are definitely not as innocent as I thought," Regina purred before she began to suck the blonde's pulse point between kisses. "But you are mistaken."

Emma placed her hands over Regina's on her hips and clawed at them. The action laced their fingers and forced Regina to tightly grip at the blonde's hips.

"How am I mistaken," Emma breathlessly asked.

Regina devilishly grinned a moment before she leaned in and kissed below Emma's jawline.

Emma sharply inhaled then softly whimpered.

"You _are_ good at pleasing me," Regina finally said.

Emma bit her bottom lip and felt Regina slide their left hands up to Emma's breast and squeezed, their right hands still on her hip.

A groan tumbled from Emma's parted pink lips as she tilted her head back and rested it on Regina's shoulder.

Regina swiftly turned her own head and pecked Emma on the cheek as she released the woman from her hold.

"Shall I teach you more or shall we ride back to the palace," Regina asked.

Emma turned to Regina and placed her hands on the Queen's shoulders with a frown.

"Can we stay here a little longer," Emma asked. "Can you teach me how to jump? Like you did when you jumped over the log and cut me off?"

Regina smiled and put her hands on Emma's hips again. She pulled Emma to her and pressed their bodies together as she held the princess.

"I can. You really wish for me to teach you that?"

"Yes," Emma nodded. "Especially if this is to be my only lesson."

"Very well," Regina said with a single nod.

Emma beamed.

"But don't mistake my kindness as a way for you to get out of being my slave tonight."

Emma's smile only brightened before she leaned in and kissed the Queen.

"Thank you," Emma said as she continued to smile.

"Come along then, dear," Regina said as she let go of Emma's hips only to take Emma's hand in hers.

Regina led the princess back to Rita. It only took a few steps and then held up Emma's hand toward the saddle.

"Up," Regina ordered.

Emma did as she was told and mounted her horse.

"Now, you'll start slow."

Regina took hold of the reins with one hand, still on foot, and led Rita into the woods. She leisurely walked away from the stables and refused to have Rita go any faster than a slow, deliberate trot.

Emma kept both her hands on the grip of the saddle. She wiggled around atop Rita with each stride the horse took.

Regina looked up at Emma and smiled as she stifled a laugh at what she saw.

"Having some trouble, Princess," Regina teasingly asked.

Emma looked over at Regina and immediately locked eyes with her.

"Only a little," Emma responded and tried to remain strong, in control of herself.

Regina's smile only widened moments before it faded a bit.

"Really, dear. How is it that you managed to ride the way you did just now and yet you can't sit on a horse moving less than a mile an hour?"

Emma shrugged.

"My mother said when I first learned to walk, I couldn't get more than two steps without falling on my little butt."

Regina laughed.

"Her words, not mine," Emma clarified before she continued. "But after a few days and _several _bruises, I stood up and started running. Wasn't much of a run considering I was only about ten or eleven months old. It was more like hurried stomping. The point is, I never fell when I went fast."

Regina didn't laugh that time, but she did smile. Almost fondly, in fact.

"Of course, I wouldn't know that's what it looked like, but from what my mother's told me that's how I imagined it was like."

"You have a good imagination," Regina said. "That is _exactly _how I would describe it myself."

Emma frowned and quizzically looked at Regina.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you. It was one of the few times I saw you after the day you were born."

"You..._saw _me? How?"

"A magic mirror. I assume you no longer have many around the palace."

"No, and the ones we do have are covered up. But why would _you _think that?"

"Because after your sixth birthday I could no longer see you through any mirrors."

"You were spying on me?"

"I wouldn't call it that. It's not as though I watched your mother change or bathe you. And I didn't keep tabs on you every waking hour."

"Then how did you see me learning to walk?"

"I would check in on you every once in a while."

"Why?"

"My plan was always to take you from your parents and with that ridiculous barrier in the way, I couldn't do that. So, out of curiosity, I would look in on you. However, as I said, I rarely saw you. The times I did see you, though, you were quite cute."

"I'm not sure if that's sweet or incredibly off-putting."

Regina smirked.

"Considering how you touched me out on that blanket I would hope you found it to be the former."

Emma smiled.

"What else did you see?"

"Your first word, your first day of school."

"How did you manage to see my first word?"

"On accident. I went to look in on you and there you were, playing with your stuffed bear. You kept...flinging around the arms and banging it against the floor."

Emma smiled, happy to hear a baby story from Regina's perspective. She'd heard plenty from her parents and it was refreshing – if not enjoyable – to hear it from the Queen, a woman who didn't love her unconditionally or have to say nice things about Emma as a child. And yet, Regina seemed to smile as she told the story. Oddly enough, that warmed Emma.

"Your parents were across the room, talking about me. You were making all sorts of sounds like you wanted to say something. I sat watching you for a few minutes before you actually did say something. And when you did, I thought I'd misheard you."

"Why?"

"You said my name."

"What? No, I didn't. My first word was 'mother'."

Regina shook her head.

"You looked up at the mirror and stopped blabbering long enough to listen to your parents say my name. It must have been what happened because I can't imagine how else you knew my name."

"Then why did my mother tell me 'mother' was my first word?"

"Had it been your daughter and you were in Snow's position, would you tell her the name of your enemy – who wanted to abduct your daughter – had been her first word?"

Emma thought about it.

"Probably not," she answered after a moment. "But...maybe they didn't hear me."

"Oh, they did, dear. That's how I knew I hadn't heard wrong."

_Little Emma sat on the floor of her nursery with a dark brown teddy bear with a red bow tie. She picked at the fur and flicked the arms around a few times before she lifted the entire bear and smashed it into the floor. She did it over and over again as she incoherently mumbled, her parents oblivious a good distance behind her._

"_It's been almost two years, Snow," Charming tried to reassure his wife. "Regina hasn't made any efforts to break through the barrier."_

"_That we know of," Snow frantically insisted. "Every time I look at Emma, I think any second _she'll _come in here and take her from us."_

"_You don't think that's how I feel? I do. But I also look at our daughter and every second of every day, I'm thankful for every moment spent with her knowing she could be at the Dark Palace, but she's not. She's here. With us."_

"_But I know Regina. Even if she hasn't tried anything yet that doesn't mean she won't. Regina said 'soon enough' the last time we saw her. She'll make good on her word. She's not one to make empty threats."_

_Emma had been mumbling at a somewhat rapid pace when she felt a strange sensation. It was as if something called to her, not that she understood it or was even aware of it._

_Her mumbling died down as the sensation grew stronger and looked up._

_Her eyes fell upon a grand looking glass in the room that extended from floor to ceiling. She couldn't see anything other than her own reflection and the reflection of the nursery, but she felt something and then a name passed her mother's lips on the other side of the room._

_As soon as she could, Emma tried to replicate it._

"_Re...Reg...een...Regin...ah."_

_All conversation stopped._

_Snow and Charming's attention sharply turned to the tiny blonde, their eyes wide and mouths agape. _

_Emma pouted and slammed the bear against the floor one final time before she left it pressed against the marble. She sat completely still as she looked down for a long moment._

_Snow took two unsure steps toward Emma then waited._

_Emma looked up at the mirror again and her pout turned into a plain expression. She stared for a few seconds before she spoke. _

"_Re...gin...ah," she sounded out the name again, that time faster than the first._

_She had a little difficulty pronouncing the "g" in the Queen's name, but she could be understood._

_Immediately, Snow and Charming strode toward Emma. Snow picked up the teddy bear and tossed it aside before she scooped the girl into her arms._

"_Emma?"_

_Snow looked down at Emma with worry and deep focus. She stared at her daughter like a woman looking for answers. _

"_Reg-ina," Emma said, faster and more confidently. _

_Snow gasped._

_Charming ran a hand over his mouth and slid it downward until he brought it back down to his side. He frustratedly sighed as he did so. His eyes looked from Emma to the mirror and back again._

"_Her first word... Her first word is _Regina_," Charming asked. _

_His voice rose as he said the brunette's name._

"_You know what? I think you're right," he started. "Regina _is_ still a threat."_

_Snow gave a tired sigh._

"_Just because Emma said her name doesn't make her a threat. We've been talking about Regina since the day Emma was born. She probably just picked up on it."_

_Regina sat in a high back chair a little less regal and Queenly than the one in her throne room. She was perched forward with much interest and intrigue as she heard her own name voiced by the young princess not once, but three times. It was with struggle and pause and not exactly completed all three times, but it had been said._

_Surprise overtook the Queen's features as the reality of it set in and emerald green eyes locked onto hers through the mirror._

_Emma squirmed in Snow's arms and turned to the mirror. She didn't say anything, just stared. She felt a strange energy and refused to look anywhere else but at the reflective surface._

_Regina did the same. She kept her chocolate brown eyes trained on the mirror as she looked at the little girl, her wispy blonde hair finally past her ears. Her short hair curled at the tips around her slightly rosy cheeks._

_Whatever Emma unknowingly felt, Regina felt it too. Though the Queen was indeed aware of it unlike the young girl._

"You did say 'mother' the next time you spoke," Regina finished the story. "Snow made sure of it. She would constantly avoid using my name and repeated hers and Charming's and 'mother' and 'father' until you said one."

"My first word was your name," Emma slowed said as she let the words roll around in her head and spill out of her mouth.

Regina gave a single nod to confirm.

"I'm not sure I should believe you."

"You don't have to," Regina flatly said. "But I know what happened and I take a bit of pride in it."

"I guess you're entitled to that."

Regina pulled on the reins and stopped the horse a few feet from a log.

"I'd ask what else you think I'm entitled to, but then we probably wouldn't finish your lesson," Regina grinned before she raked her eyes over Emma.

* * *

Emma pecked a kiss on Regina's cheek just before the brunette's ear as she sat behind the Queen on Regina's jet black Mustang. She had her arms wrapped around Regina's waist as they casually strode back to the palace.

The Huntsman appeared at the front of the palace and tried to keep a stoic expression as he watched the princess kiss the Queen.

"Your Majesty," the Huntsman greeted and bowed his head.

"Huntsman, take care of my steed," Regina ordered before she turned to glance at Emma.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The blonde took a second to understand the Queen's silent request before she quietly said, "Oh" and dismounted the horse.

Though she herself was royalty, Emma held out her hand to Regina and smiled when the brunette laid her palm over top of hers. She helped Regina off the horse, though Regina didn't need it, and stood incredibly close to the brunette, but refrained from affectionately touching her. She wasn't sure the Queen wanted others to see them like that. They hadn't talked about it, but she respected Regina's authority enough to wait for her to make the first move in public – if she ever did.

Regina completely ignored the Huntsman as he did her bidding and led Emma inside.

Emma, on the other hand, looked over her shoulder at the Huntsman and flashed a small smile at him.

The Huntsman smiled back as he took the reins of Regina's horse. His smile was warmer than hers and not as brief, but when Regina turned to the princess as the blonde fell behind, his smile instantly vanished. He subtly cleared his throat and redirected his attention entirely to the horse as Regina met his gaze with a fiery glare.

Emma looked back to Regina and noticed the harsh look she shot the Huntsman. She sighed and looked disapprovingly at the brunette.

Regina's eyes slid to her left and locked onto Emma's. Her expression softened, though it was clear she didn't like the look Emma gave her.

"Let's go, Princess," Regina commanded and swiftly spun on her heels before she made her way through the grand entrance.

Emma followed her inside. To her surprise, Regina led her into the kitchen.

"What are we doing here," Emma asked as she looked around the room.

"Getting our dinner to go," Regina threw over her shoulder before she stopped in front of a counter and looked at a woman preparing food.

"Cook," Regina greeted with an authoritative tone.

The woman that prepared the food, the one being addressed, turned to Regina and immediately stilled all other movement.

"Your Majesty," the cook bowed her head.

"Is supper ready yet," Regina asked as the woman straightened up again.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Just finished. It's still hot, though."

"That's fine," Regina dismissively stated, almost bored, with a careless wave of her hand. "You can hand it over to the princess."

Regina turned and motioned to the blonde who had stopped a few feet behind her.

The cook gave a single nod of understanding after she looked from the princess to the Queen. She reached behind her and grabbed the pan she'd set aside. She used a cloth to hold the pan by the handle and turned it so Emma could hold the handle and avoid getting burned herself.

Emma nervously smiled at the cook and took the pan. She started to move toward Regina when the woman behind the counter stopped her.

"Wait. You'll need a tray, Princess," the cook said as she took hold of a nearby silver tray then offered it to the blonde.

Emma looked up at a smirking Regina before she sheepishly smiled and turned to accept the tray.

"Right," Emma quietly said as she took the tray.

"And plates," the cook continued.

Emma started to blush.

Both the cook and Regina noticed. Only the cook mentioned it.

"It's alright, Princess," the cook started with a warm smile. "You're royalty. You're not expected to know this."

Emma nodded. She couldn't form a single word, utterly mortified at her forgetfulness though the cook had a point. She didn't need to know the ins and outs of a kitchen or how to serve food. She was a princess. That wasn't her job. Her job was to lead the people. The fact that she looked completely incompetent, however, endlessly embarrassed her.

Emma held out the tray to the cook and watched the other woman gently set the plates on top of the smooth silver surface.

Though her blush had not intensified, it hadn't diminished at all either. As Emma stepped away from the counter and headed toward the archway between the main corridor and the kitchen, Regina stopped her.

"There are those rosy cheeks I remember," Regina said as she reached out and held Emma's chin between her index finger and thumb.

Regina grinned as she inspected pinkish cheeks then gazed straight into emerald eyes.

Emma gulped under Regina's scrutiny.

Regina's grin widened far enough to show perfectly straight and pearly white teeth.

"Is this all of it," Emma asked as she kept Regina's gaze with a doe-eyed expression.

Regina softly chuckled and turned her head to look at the cook, but kept Emma's chin between her fingers.

The Queen didn't have to say a word before she got the answer to her unvoiced question.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the cook supplied. "That's all of your supper."

"Thank you," Regina replied.

The brunette gave the cook a smile, something she rarely gave any of her staff, and turned to leave. As she turned, she released Emma's chin and strode toward the hallway. She didn't even bother to look back and ensure the blonde followed her. She just carried on as though she either trusted Emma to follow or didn't care if she kept up with her.

Emma quickly looked back at the cook and forced a smile, another nervous one, as the cook knowingly giggled at the princess' expense. She turned back toward the hallway and scurried after Regina.

Emma managed to catch up to the brunette at the landing of the grand staircase. She walked up the steps with clanging plates on a tray in one hand and a scalding hot pan in the other. She looked every bit as clumsy as her father Prince Charming, though the man had greatly improved his balance skills since Emma came into his life.

Finally, after a long minute or two of struggling her inability to walk and carry things at the same time, the princess and the queen reached Regina's bedchamber. Upon her success, Emma puffed out a sigh and accidentally blew loose strands of blonde tresses into her face. She rolled her eyes and groaned.

Regina stopped at her bed and turned to Emma, who remained just barely inside the room, close to the doorway. She chuckled at the sight of the frustrated princess and gracefully lowered herself onto the bed.

She sat at first and watched as Emma clambered over to the nightstand and set down the pan and tray. But when Emma finally took a step away from the nightstand, Regina slowly fell onto her back with a moan.

Emma bit her bottom lip as she watched the brunette slide her hands over the sheets before her back made contact with the bed.

Of course, Emma didn't get to stare too long before Regina flicked her wrist and magically changed the blonde out of her clothes and into sleepwear.

Regina didn't look at her as she did it. She just envisioned an outfit and waved her hand in the air.

Thin, purple smoke clouded Emma's figure for a few seconds until it dissipated and revealed the blonde in a silk white nightgown.

Emma looked down and examined her new wardrobe.

"This is more virginal than the gold dress you made me wear the first day I spent here," Emma frowned as her eyes raked from her bare feet up to her chest.

She looked up completely and stared at Regina, who remained on her back with her eyes trained on the ceiling.

"A slave has no say in what their master prefers them to wear," Regina informed her.

Emma continued to frown and looked down at her outfit once more.

After a moment, Regina turned her head to the side and curled it toward her shoulder to see the blonde from her laying position on the bed. She didn't move anything other than her neck muscles before she caught a glimpse of Emma in the flowing nightgown. She smiled.

Emma felt a pair of eyes on her and looked up again. Immediately, she met Regina's gaze.

"I like the look of innocence on you," Regina said the second she had Emma's attention.

"I'm tired of wearing white. That's all my parents make me dress in. That or gold and _maybe _red. I had to pester them for a while before they allowed me to wear that color."

"Twenty-eight years is an awfully long time to wear white," Regina said.

"I agree," Emma said with a bit of fire in her words. "Change me again?"

Regina stayed perfectly still, aside from the rise and fall of her chest, before she sat up. Her eyes never left Emma's body as she scanned over the wardrobe selection she'd made for the blonde. Within a few moments, she came up with a solution.

Regina flicked her wrist again and another thin cloud of purple smoke covered Emma's form. When it cleared, Regina devilishly grinned at the results.

Emma looked down and noticed the obvious changes. Though it was the same length and style, a silk nightgown that stopped mid-thigh, it was thinner than the previous version. It was more transparent than it was white and her undergarments were black. She knew if she could see the faint outline of her undergarments that Regina could see them too. In that moment of realization, she looked up at the other woman.

"Less virginal for you," Regina asked, a grin still present on her face.

Emma cocked her head to the side and glared at Regina.

Regina's grin only spread wider and Emma's displeased attitude caused the Queen to laugh.

"If that still doesn't suit you," Regina started and flicked her wrist with less flourish than she'd previously used. "This may suffice."

A small amount of purple smoke swirled out from underneath the gown at chest level.

Emma's eyes snapped down to the addition, or rather subtraction, to her outfit. Two dark pink nipples poked at the comfortable silk fabric, nothing about her breasts left to the imagine though not entirely exposed beyond the thin white gown.

Emma immediately crossed her arms over her chest in the shape of an "X" and gripped her biceps to conceal her alert nipples.

"I'd like something a little less revealing," Emma stated. "All I wanted was something not white."

"Easy, Princess," Regina said with a smile. "Come here."

"No."

Regina tilted her head to the side. Her smile faded, but didn't vanish completely.

"I won. You're my slave for the night. You shall do as I say," she commanded, though with little force.

"Not until you change me into something else. Something that meets my specifications."

"Then that would defeat the purpose of calling you over here."

Emma furrowed her brow, confused.

"Come here," Regina repeated, her tone friendly and sweeter.

Emma took a deep breath then exhaled as she took the first step toward the bed. She closed the space between her and Regina and stood in front of the Queen.

Regina looked up into green eyes even though Emma's covered breasts were almost directly in her face. She reached up and gently wrapped her hands around Emma's forearms. With a little struggle, she pulled Emma's arms away from her chest and brought them down to the blonde's sides.

Emma gasped as she felt exposed all over again, just as she had the moment before she used her arms to shield her breasts.

Regina lowered her gaze from green eyes to rounded flesh slightly masked beneath the nightgown. She zeroed in on one of Emma's hardened nipples and leaned in.

Emma tried to step back, move away from Regina's touch, but the brunette quickly slid her arms around Emma's waist and kept her in place.

Regina gently raked her teeth over Emma's right breast as she closed in on the younger woman's nipple. The instant her teeth scraped against the hardened bud, Regina clamped her lips around it and sucked the nipple into her mouth.

Emma gasped again and gripped Regina's shoulders to brace herself as she arched her back and pressed her breast further into Regina's mouth. She closed her eyes and parted her lips when a silent moan that unsuccessfully attempted to be heard.

Regina tasted the silk that kept her from her prize. She didn't mind. In fact, it's exactly what she wanted. She flicked her tongue over Emma's already hardened nipple before she sucked it even further to a point. She didn't stop until she heard Emma cry out at the sensation of having her nipple feel as hard as a rock.

"Want me to continue, Princess," Regina purred as she pulled away to lock eyes with Emma.

Emma licked her lips and gulped as she breathlessly stood in Regina's arms. The Queen's chocolate colored gaze was too intense for her so Emma averted her eyes. It was then that she realized the orange and red hues outside.

"Sunset," Emma exclaimed.

Regina turned and noticed the sky's colors as well.

"You've never missed one," Regina stated.

"Except the one on my first night here," Emma said, her eyes still fixed on the view the uncovered balcony doors gave her.

Regina looked from outside back up to Emma. She saw the desire etched on her face, the desperation in her eyes, and none of it for her. The girl clearly wanted to watch the sun set and Regina couldn't really blame her since she herself always tried to watch it for the last twenty-eight years.

Regina moved her hands from around Emma's waist to the blonde's hips and pushed the princess back a few steps.

Emma looked away from the setting sun to Regina and frowned.

Regina kept her hands on Emma's hips as she stood, their bodies less than an inch apart when she got off the bed. She met concerned, possibly even sad, green eyes for a moment before she took one of Emma's hands in hers. She pulled the blonde toward the balcony and waved her unoccupied hand at the closed doors. They flew open and allowed both women to instantly feel a breeze from the evening air.

Emma let Regina lead her out onto the balcony and thought nothing of the fact that both her nipples were extremely visible through her nightgown. She no longer cared as she felt Regina squeeze her hand and welcome her to that particular evening's sunset.

Regina tugged Emma until the blonde padded in front of her on the balcony. She wrapped her arms around the princess' waist from behind and stopped them at the edge of the balcony.

Emma immediately rested her hands on top of the cement banister that encompassed the balcony. She looked out at the rest of the Enchanted Forest, not all of it visible from the Dark Palace, and breathed in the fresh, outdoor air.

"It's beautiful," Emma said as though she were in a trance.

Regina looked out at the horizon and marveled in the glow of the sunset. But the sunset wasn't what got her to smile. For the first time in a long time, she felt her heart beat. It beat before, every day for the last thirty plus years she'd been alive, but after a while she'd lost the feeling. That night, however, as she held Emma and observed one of the countless sunsets she'd seen in the last couple decades, the feeling had returned. A calm she'd hadn't known since she'd started secretly seeing Daniel washed over her, a calm long lost and terribly missed.

"Beautiful indeed," Regina agreed, though she hadn't particularly referred to the sunset.

Due to their time at the stables, as Regina had earlier predicted, there wasn't much of a sunset left for the two of them to enjoy before the darkness of nightfall consumed the Enchanted Forest. But as Regina led Emma back into her chamber then, her hand in Emma's as she backed up toward the bed, neither one of them seemed to mind.

When the back of Regina's thighs hit the edge of the bed, she pulled Emma into a searing kiss and carelessly fell onto the bed. She brought Emma down with her as she fell and only broke their kiss when their teeth gnashed upon impact.

Emma had landed slightly on top of Regina and, for a moment, she tried to take full advantage of that. She pushed into Regina as she continued to kiss the brunette and attempted to make Regina roll onto her back.

The Queen knew better.

Regina momentarily let Emma think she had the upper hand and rolled partially onto her back as Emma intensified the kiss. When she felt Emma snake a leg over her hips in an attempt to straddle her, Regina smirked into the kiss and rolled Emma onto her back.

Emma's leg, the one she'd used to try and straddle Regina with, remained spread as Regina rolled on top of her. She groaned when her back laid flat on the bed and pressed her knee into Regina's side.

Regina reached back and rested a hand on Emma's knee for a moment before she slowly pushed it aside and slid her hand over Emma's thigh. She took her time as her hand slid closer and closer to Emma's sex.

Emma whimpered when Regina's thumb brushed against her underwear. She turned her head and broke the kiss in one swift move as she panted and avoided Regina's gaze.

Regina pulled back ever so slightly and gave herself only enough space to look at Emma. She immediately stilled her hand when Emma turned away from her and tried to look into green eyes.

"It's okay," Regina whispered before she brought her lips to Emma's neck and kissed below her jaw.

Regina slid her hand upward and felt Emma's heated skin against her palm. She dragged the nightgown with her as she placed a trail of wet kisses from the blonde's jawline to her pulse point then started to nip at her skin.

Emma relaxed her leg and rested it on the bed. She turned to look up at the ceiling instead of at the wall and almost trapped Regina's head between her sternum and chin. She tipped her head back and pressed it into the pillow to give Regina room.

The brunette continued to kiss and nip. When she felt Emma extend her neck, she began to suck at the blonde's pulse point. Her hand reached one of Emma's breasts and she moaned against Emma's neck. She cupped rounded, warm flesh and rolled her hips against Emma's center.

Emma moaned and bucked her hips to press herself against Regina.

Regina grazed Emma's nipple with the pad of her thumb then kissed down Emma's sternum as far as the gown permitted. She dipped her head to access the skin just beneath the neckline of the gown. She kissed her a few more times before she slid her hand off Emma's breast and pressed it into the bed on the younger woman's side, still inside the gown. She pulled away from Emma's chest and found hazy, emerald eyes.

"I want you to feed me," Regina said, her voice smoky and her eyes darkened by lust.

"Right now," Emma asked.

Regina grinned.

"Yes. Are you feeling well?"

Emma nodded against the pillow, her blonde tresses sure to be tangled when she got up.

"I'm fine," Emma confirmed with her words.

The blonde took a few seconds to regulate her breathing and even when she still didn't have much control over it, she tried to sit up.

"No, dear," Regina said as she placed a hand on Emma's sternum and gently pushed the woman back onto the bed. "No need to get up."

"Then how am I to feed you?"

"Well...I really want to eat _off _you more than I want to have you feed me. I should have been more clear."

Regina pushed off the bed and slid her hand out from underneath Emma's nightgown. She went to the nightstand and scooped up a spoonful of excess sauce from in the pan. She held the spoon above her free hand in case the sauce dripped. She would rather lick sauce off her hand than to have a servant clean the sauce off any part of her chamber.

The sauce didn't drip, however, and she managed to make the two or three steps back to the bed mess free. She pushed up Emma's nightgown and ensured that only her breasts were concealed by the luxurious silk. She tipped the spoon and let the sauce fall from the silver utensil onto Emma's bare stomach.

The second Emma felt the warm sauce drizzle onto her stomach, she instinctively tensed her abdomen.

Regina grinned as she watched how Emma's body reacted.

"You don't mind, do you, Princess," Regina asked, her voice overly sweet.

To Emma, the Queen's tone suggested that if she said yes, Regina would continue her actions, though maybe she would find less joy in it. And if she said no, Regina would take it as an invitation to do as she pleased from that point on with or without the blonde's consent.

Emma compromised and just shook her head.

Regina studied Emma's features and her grin slowly disappeared.

"Tell me if I do anything you don't like," Regina said, serious but still radiating sexuality.

"Okay," Emma quietly said.

Regina reached over and pushed the food around in the pan until she exposed more sauce then scooped it up. She purposely spilled the sauce on Emma yet again and tried to cover most of the younger woman's trembling abdomen.

Regina placed the spoon back in the pan and abandoned their dinner as she directed her attention to Emma. She grabbed Emma's knees with a light touch and slowly spread the princess' legs. She knelt between them and leaned in as she let go of Emma's knees. She pressed her hands into the bed on either side of the blonde and lowered her mouth to Emma's sauce coated stomach. Her anxious tongue slithered past parted lips and licked up the woman's abdomen.

Emma sharply inhaled the moment Regina's tongue touched her skin. She'd never had anyone do such a thing to her and quickly she realized that the experience was as exciting as it was alarming.

Though the shock didn't last long. Even as Regina swirled her tongue around her navel, Emma still felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter as rapidly as they had when Regina first started to lick the sauce off her, but it wasn't as startling. By then, she expected the sensation.

Regina delved her tongue into Emma's navel and surprisingly caused the younger woman to giggle. She smiled as she gently bit down on the top of Emma's navel, her tongue still inside the small dip in her skin.

Emma's giggle died instantly. A moment of silence fell over them before Emma bit her bottom lip and moaned.

Regina felt Emma start to squirm underneath her. She released Emma's navel and left a trail of kisses from there up to the start of the valley between the blonde's breasts. The bridge of her nose pushed the nightgown out of her way enough to keep Emma's breasts covered while it also gave her access to more skin, the hem of the nightgown wrinkled up just under Emma's breasts.

Regina placed a wet kiss at the bottom of Emma's sternum before she raked her teeth over unmarked skin. She then sucked at the same spot before she nipped it a few times. She alternated between cautious bites and greedy sucking until Emma grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her further north.

Regina moved up Emma's body per the younger woman's request and in the process, she managed to brush her chest against the hem of the nightgown. The gown slid up Emma's breasts and uncovered her hardened nipples.

Only Emma noticed as the air around her breasts became a few degrees colder, but she paid no attention. She stared straight into dark, chocolate pools filled with lust, desire. She pressed the flat of her palm against the back of Regina's neck and crashed their lips together in a passionate kiss that quickly became more teeth and tongues than lips.

They broke their kiss the second they needed oxygen and Regina pulled back into a kneeling position.

Regina didn't bother to catch her breath before she reached around and started to untie her corset.

"Would you like me to touch you," Regina asked as she worked her way up each lace and loosened it. "Or is it too much?"

Emma reached behind Regina and grabbed one of her hands.

Regina stopped unlacing her corset before she even figured out what Emma wanted with her hand.

Emma pressed Regina's hand against her pelvic bone and slowly guided it lower.

Regina didn't fight Emma's pace and allowed the blonde to control things. The closer Emma guided her hand to the woman's sex, the more uncertainty she saw form in green eyes. She knew if she moved things along in any way, she'd be pressuring the blonde.

Emma moved Regina's hand closer to her own thigh the closer she got to her sex. She should have stopped there, but she kept going as a test to see how far she could go. She ran the tip of Regina's middle finger over the side of her underwear before she moved it across the material. She pushed Regina's finger against her underwear and it parted her folds through the underwear. It caused Regina's fingertip to press against her clit.

Emma immediately let go of Regina's hand while she simultaneously snapped her legs closed. Or at least, pressed her knees together in front of Regina's ribs to keep the brunette away.

Regina pulled her hand out from between Emma's legs the moment the blonde let go. She defensively raised her arms to show Emma that both of her hands were visible and nowhere near her center.

"I'm sorry," Emma quietly said as she closed her eyes, unable to meet the Queen's gaze.

"It's okay," Regina repeated her words from earlier, that time above a whisper but her words still as comforting and reassuring as the first time.

Emma opened her eyes in time to see Regina reach around her back again and continue to unlace the corset.

"Will you touch me?"

Emma looked Regina up and down before her lips slowly formed a grin.

"Yes."

Regina smirked just as she untied the final lace. She moved her hands back around to the front of her corset and reached into the pocket. When her fingertips hit the bottom of the pocket, she suddenly frowned at Emma.

Emma furrowed her brow and her grin quickly faded.

"Regina?"

Regina looked down at the pocket while she wiggled her fingers around inside.

Nothing.

"What is it," Emma asked with genuine concern.

"I had a ring in here," Regina replied, though she seemed absent-minded when she spoke.

Her thoughts focused on everything she had done that day, everywhere she had gone, as she tried to piece together the exact moment she lost it.

"A ring?"

Regina didn't seem to notice Emma as she shot of the bed and turned the pocket inside out. Again, there was nothing.

Regina felt tears begin to form and threaten to spill.

Emma sat up.

"No," Regina whispered.

"Regina?"

Emma reached out and touched the brunette's elbow.

Regina snapped out of her thoughts and rejoined reality. She yanked her arm away from Emma and started a brisk pace toward the hallway. She didn't even bother to lace up her corset as she headed out of her chamber.

"Bruce! Bruce," Regina hastily called out.

Emma pulled her nightgown back down and covered herself up before she slid off the bed. She scrambled into the hall and toward the grand staircase as she chased after the Queen.

"Huntsman," Regina yelled in a booming, authoritative voice.

Anyone who didn't respond to the Queen's call was an idiot. Emma had only been there a few days, but she knew it would be a mistake not to rush to Her Majesty's aid, especially given the woman's tone of voice.

Even though she hadn't been called herself, Emma still followed the sound of Regina's voice through the palace. After another minute of shouting names and titles, she caught up with Regina in the large foyer by the palace's entrance along with several men she didn't know or recognize.

Emma stopped a few feet behind Regina, off to the side and out of the way. She watched as a man stepped up to the Queen, but maintained a five foot distance before he bowed.

Before Regina could address the man, the Huntsman ran into the room and joined the group of men Regina had called.

"My apologies, Your Majesty," the Huntsman said almost immediately, a bit out of breath before he himself bowed.

When he straightened up, he looked over and noticed Emma for the first time just as Regina started to speak.

"I need you to search for a ring between here and the stables," Regina started. "I'm not certain where it fell, but I know it is somewhere within the woods."

Emma met the Huntsman's gaze, but averted her eyes after a few seconds to stare at the floor.

"I will not rest nor will I let any of _you _rest until it is found," Regina barked.

"A ring, Your Majesty," the man who had first bowed asked.

"Yes, Bruce. A ring. Do you have a problem with looking for a ring," Regina sharply asked, her tone cutting and aggressive.

It set Emma on edge and caused her to stiffen. She looked up and locked eyes with the Huntsman once again.

"No, Your Majesty," Bruce said as he trained his eyes on the floor.

He dipped his head, his chin nearly pressed into his sternum, as a sign of his submission.

"Good," Regina growled.

"Your Majesty," one of the men near the Huntsman timidly spoke up.

Regina snapped her head and zeroed in on the man who dared to speak without permission. She would have immediately reprimanded him if she hadn't noticed something peculiar out of the corner of her eye. She looked from the man who dared to speak to the Huntsman then followed his gaze to the princess.

She gritted her teeth and set her jaw. She clenched her fists at her sides and almost yelled at both of them when the man who dared to speak spoke again.

"The moon is out," the man started.

The Huntsman felt Regina's fiery gaze focused on him and looked at her. Their eyes met for a moment before Regina redirected her attention on the other man once again.

"There isn't much light. I doubt we'll be able to find a ring out there," the man finished.

"I don't care! Do whatever it takes to find. That. Ring!"

"It isn't possible, My Queen," another man insisted.

Before Regina could take a deep, calming breath, she shot out her hand and caused glass from the nearby windows and the double doors at the entrance to shatter. She immediately flicked her wrist toward the man afterward and the shards flew at the man from behind.

Emma gasped as she watched the shards slice through the man and stick out of his chest and stomach. She stood with wide eyes and a slack jaw as blood seeped out of each wound the shards caused. The blood stained the glass and dripped onto the floor.

"Anyone else think it's impossible_,_" Regina furiously yelled at the group.

Silence.

The man with the glass shards in his body fell to his knees and keeled over. He placed a hand on the floor and coughed up blood.

Emma looked from him to Regina and tried to process what she'd seen when the Huntsman spoke up.

"We won't find it, Your Majesty."

Regina instantly conjured a fireball at her hip, but before she could send it hurling toward the Huntsman, Emma stepped between her and the Huntsman.

"Stop!"

Regina's eyes softened the second she looked into emerald eyes.

"They're right. It's dark out. There's no way they could find a ring. Just wait until morning and have them search for it as soon as the sun comes up," Emma pleadingly said.

Regina frowned and furrowed her brow.

The two women stared at each other in complete silence for what seemed like an eternity.

"Please," Emma begged after a moment.

Regina sighed and clenched her fist until the fireball diminished.

Emma slowly took a few steps toward Regina and reached out for the woman's hand, the one she'd used to conjure the fireball, and laced their fingers.

"Leave us," Regina barked at the men.

Bruce and the other guards all took their leave, but the Huntsman stayed.

He stared at Regina and Emma, a worried expression on his face that also appeared somewhat sad.

Regina looked over Emma's shoulder and saw the Huntsman staring. Part of her wanted to conjure another fireball and throw it at him, but another part wanted to put the man in his place. The latter part of her won out. She wickedly grinned and wrapped an arm around Emma's waist. She pulled the blonde close and kissed her right in front of the Huntsman. She didn't look at him at first and just melted into the kiss for the first few seconds. But as she started to use the kiss to claim Emma instead of show the blonde affection, her eyes shot open and immediately locked onto the Huntsman.

The Huntsman's eyes darted around the room as he tried to avoid the Queen's dangerous gaze, but like a moth to a flame he couldn't keep his eyes off Emma. He looked back at Regina as she hungrily kissed Emma, absent of any shame.

Regina moved their joined hands toward the waistline of her leather pants. She latched the blonde's hand onto her pants and cupped her hand around the back of Emma's neck. She closed her eyes again and held Emma flush against her.

Emma moaned, though not out of encouragement. She moaned again, her body rigid as she squirmed away from the brunette.

Regina felt Emma pull away and reluctantly let her go.

"Can you make him better," Emma asked with a frown after a moment.

Regina quizzically looked at the princess.

Emma turned her body and pointed to the man with the glass shards stuck in him then looked at Regina again.

Regina inspected the damage, even from her distance, and came to a conclusion after a moment.

"I can," Regina answered through gritted teeth as she looked from the man back to Emma.

"Will you?"

Regina huffed out a sigh.

"If you wish. Though I prefer to make examples of those who disrespect me," Regina said before she flicked her wrist and magically pulled the glass out of the man.

The glass pieced itself back together and repaired the windows and doors.

When she slid her hand over the man's body again, still at a distance, her hand glowed purple as she held it out with her palm faced toward the man. Within a few seconds, the purple glow faded around her hand and the man took in a deep, audible breath.

The man slowly got to his feet, the wounds from the glass healed and his blood no longer visible.

"Thank you," Emma said.

Regina briefly smiled at Emma before she looked past the blonde and at the Huntsman.

"Huntsman, take the guard to get medical attention and make sure he is well," Regina ordered.

"...Yes, Your Majesty," the Huntsman begrudgingly agreed.

Regina turned away and headed toward the staircase. She didn't bother to look over her shoulder to check on Emma, as she had done when they traveled from the kitchen to her bedchamber earlier.

Emma watched Regina walk away before she turned to the Huntsman. She saw the man help the guard stand up straight, his arm tucked under one of the guard's arms to keep the man on his feet.

"She's done much worse," the Huntsman warned Emma in a hushed tone. "And she'll likely continue to do such cruel and vile things."

Emma frowned.

"You should leave the palace while you still can, Your Highness," the Huntsman added. "Nothing good will come from you staying here."

Emma's frown deepened and her expression turned morose and conflicted. She averted her eyes as she looked around at different points in the room. After a couple seconds, she met his gaze again and gave a curt nod.

"I appreciate your concern," Emma evenly said then turned and followed after Regina.

* * *

When Emma joined Regina in the Queen's bedchamber, she watched the brunette pace back and forth. She rigidly stood in the doorway and refused to take another step forward in case Regina wanted to lash out again.

"I should have let him choke on his own blood. I should have let him die and sent the other guards to spread news of what happens when you defy the Queen," Regina growled. "But then you asked me to make him better and I let him live."

Regina turned and glared at Emma as she stopped pacing.

"I'm...sorry?"

Emma didn't know what to say.

Regina shook her head and her expression faltered. Her anger was still evident in her fiery eyes and tight-set jaw.

"You," Regina said in a gravelly tone.

Emma gulped. She felt a shift in the air.

"Ever since you got here," Regina started as she advanced on the blonde and closed the space between them. "You've managed to get under my skin and change the way I do things. How _dare _you!"

Regina shot out a hand and magically shut the door to her chamber with a slam. She raised her other hand and wrapped it around Emma's neck. She squeezed as she threw Emma against the wall.

Emma grunted on impact and scrunched up her face in discomfort as the air left her lungs.

"Reg-ina," Emma strangled out, raspy and barely louder than a whisper.

"You really _aren't_ as innocent as I thought we were. This whole time, you were being cute and sweet just so I'd be nice to you and put an end to my 'evil' reign."

Emma tried to shake her head, though the movement was limited.

Regina still understood Emma's response all the same, but she didn't relent.

"I-"

Emma started. She fought to form every last word she said until she managed to voice her defense.

"I-I..._like_...you-"

Regina looked into wide, green eyes until she saw the truth in them.

"I wou-would...ne-ver...try to- hurt...you," Emma continued.

Regina's expression quickly softened as she eased up on Emma's neck.

The instant Emma could breathe again, she gasped to take in as much oxygen she had been deprived then coughed.

Regina pulled her hand away after Emma's single cough turned into a small fit of them. She dropped her hand to her side and took a step back.

Emma took a few ragged breaths once her coughing subsided and pushed away from the wall. After a few moments, she took a couple deep breaths and ran a hand through her hair.

"You...like me," Regina disbelievingly asked. "You actually, _genuinely_ like me."

The second time wasn't a question. It was a statement said in an intrigued tone that fit the Evil Queen persona.

"Of course," Emma confirmed. "I've been fascinated with you since I was little. Your name was my first word. I've never tried to run from you even though you've allowed me more freedom to wander through the palace. How can you doubt me when I've done nothing to betray your trust?"

Regina sighed and shook her head, apologetic.

"I told you it isn't easy for me to trust," Regina quietly confessed. "It's safer to see the worst in people than to think anyone could care for you."

"Why do you believe that?"

"Because then it's harder to be manipulated by those you once thought were only trying to help."

Emma frowned and rubbed her neck where she was sure bruises in the shape of Regina's fingers would soon appear.

"I wish you didn't have to feel guarded, but I understand. I've been manipulated once or twice as well."

Regina's eyes wandered from green eyes down to the neck she had previously tried to wring. Within a couple of seconds, she closed the space between them and slowly reached out for Emma.

The blonde noticed Regina's hand extend toward her and immediately, she flinched.

Regina contorted her face into a sort of wince, a sad and guilty expression. She froze mid-step and kept her hand completely still between her and the princess. She didn't move any closer until Emma felt comfortable.

Emma looked up from Regina's hand to her concerned, chocolate eyes. With her own hand gently placed over her neck, she stared at Regina for a few long moments. Silence filled the air between them as well as the entire chamber as they stood. Their eyes never left the other and Emma took her time to seek out Regina's intentions through those same concerned eyes.

Finally, Emma trusted Regina not to hurt her again. She nodded at the Queen and allowed the woman to touch her.

Regina cupped Emma's cheek and stroked the pad of her thumb over the blonde's cheekbone. The corners of her mouth slowly curled upward to form a smile as she admired the woman before her.

"I apologize, my dear," Regina said as her smile faded to display her sincerity. "I like you too. I let my anger cloud my judgment and I hurt you. I can't guarantee that it won't happen again, but I'll try my hardest not to direct my anger at you."

Emma paused before she nodded.

"If you don't mind me asking...what's so special about the ring you lost," Emma asked.

Regina hesitated before she took another step closer to Emma. She pushed her hand further back until her thumb pressed against the shell of Emma's ear and leaned in. Her lips met Emma's in a tender kiss, one without tongue but with emotion nonetheless.

She lingered.

Regina kept her lips on Emma's for as long as she could, as long as Emma would allow her. She stayed wrapped up in the kiss for a moment longer before she pulled away, her hand included.

"It...was Daniel's ring," Regina finally, slowly answered.

"Oh," Emma quietly responded.

"The ring he gave me...the night he proposed to me. Well...I proposed to him, but he...he gave me the ring from his bag. It wasn't much, but it was everything."

Emma smiled and leaned in. She rested her hands on Regina's hips and pulled the brunette into her. She claimed Regina's lips with her own and used the kiss to express her understanding and sympathy. When the one kiss wasn't enough for her, she slid her tongue past parted lips and touched Regina's tongue with the tip of her own. She pulled her tongue back right after she touched Regina's and kept the kiss chaste from that point on.

Regina, however, didn't prefer the chasteness. Instead, her tongue slithered out to meet Emma's again and dominated the kiss when they touched for a second time.

Emma contentedly hummed into the kiss as their tongues danced together and Regina pushed her up against the wall. She felt her back press into the wall while her front melted into Regina's body.

Regina placed a hand on the wall beside Emma's head, above the blonde's shoulder, and her other hand on Emma's chest. Her fingertips lightly pressed against Emma's collarbone while the heel of her palm applied pressure to the younger woman's breast, above her nipple. She used that hand to keep Emma in place against the wall as the blonde writhed beneath her in an attempt to push her toward the bed.

Regina moaned into the kiss before she reluctantly broke it then rested her forehead against Emma's.

"Just get some sleep, Regina," Emma started. "We'll find your ring. I promise."

"I don't like promises."

"Why not?"

"Someone broke a promise to me once and it cost me everything."

"Okay. Then I rescind my promise and want only to assure you that when morning comes, you'll get your ring back. There's nothing we can do now except sleep."

Regina nodded then reached down and took Emma's hand in hers. She laced their fingers and pulled Emma toward the bed. She spun the blonde around to face her, Emma's back to the bed, and gently pushed her onto it.

Emma fell onto her back and bent her legs at the knees as she set her feet on the edge of the bed. She pushed with her feet to move herself further onto the bed as Regina crawled onto the bed between her legs.

Regina hovered over Emma and smiled down at the blonde.

"You know, we never got to finish your time as my slave," Regina purred.

Emma bit her bottom lip.

"What a shame...for you," Emma quipped.

Regina chuckled.

"Watch your tongue," Regina warned.

Emma stuck her tongue out at Regina in an act of defiance.

Regina grinned as she leaned in and nipped at Emma's tongue.

Emma giggled and retracted her tongue before Regina closed the distance between their mouths and kissed her.

"Sleep," Emma insisted.

"Only if you'll be my slave tomorrow night after your magic lesson."

"I'll think about it."

Regina narrowed her eyes.

"I don't want you to think about it. I want you to accept it," Regina said.

Emma smirked.

"Anything worth having is a struggle, takes great efforts, and above all: takes patience," Emma said.

Regina didn't say another word. She smiled and leaned in again to chastely kiss Emma.

Emma kissed back for the brief second the kiss lasted then watched Regina sit up before she laid on her back on her side of the bed.

In the process, Regina trapped one of Emma's legs beneath her, Emma horizontally splayed on the bed while Regina laid vertically.

Emma propped herself up on her elbows.

"Do you think before you fall asleep you could give me back my leg," Emma asked with a smile.

Regina smiled back as she turned her head to look at Emma.

"Do you think before _you _fall asleep you could agree to reschedule your time as my slave," Regina teasingly repeated the form of Emma's question.

"Mm," Emma elongated a hum in feigned consideration. "No."

Emma's smirk only widened when Regina glared at her, unappreciative of her answer.

"Tease," Regina said.

"Predator," Emma shot back in banter.

"Dainty little princess."

"Sexual evil queen."

Regina grinned.

Emma silently chuckled.

Regina had only noticed Emma had even laughed by the way the blonde's stomach tensed then relaxed a few times as she gently shook in place on the bed.

Emma pushed herself onto her hands instead of her elbows and slid her leg out from under Regina.

"If I am to get some rest, you should too, my dear," Regina said as Emma curled up as she remained sitting on the bed.

Emma looked down at Regina for a moment, their eyes locked on each other, before she flashed a small smile and laid down beside the Queen.

"Yes, _Your Majesty_," Emma feigned subordination, though she did settle into the bed with a few shakes and squirms until she found comfort.

"Goodnight, Princess," Regina said as she tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind Emma's ear.

"Goodnight, Regina," Emma said as she traced the indent of Regina's lip scar with her index finger.

Regina closed her eyes as she felt Emma's feather-light touch on her upper lip. After a few minutes, her breathing started to even out.

Emma watched Regina drift off and waited until she started to feel sleep overtake her before she fought it off and cautiously got out of bed. With each move she made, she tried her hardest not to cause the bed to drastically dip at any point. After maybe a minute, she was on her feet.

She went to the closet and searched in the dark for something to slip on over her sleepwear. It didn't take long before she found a dark dress, unable to identify its color, and threw it on over her revealing nightgown then crossed the chamber.

As she headed for the door, she stared at Regina and watched her sleep. She hesitated once she reached the door, her hand on the knob, as she took in Regina's calm and peaceful appearance. A second later, Emma quietly opened the door and tiptoed toward the grand staircase. She softly went down every last step before she made it to the palace's entrance.

The Huntsman stilled his movements as he quietly walked down a hallway that lead back to the foyer. When he spotted a familiar blonde princess, he stopped and directed watchful eyes on her.

At the entrance, Emma didn't hesitate.

She opened one of the double doors and disappeared into the night.

* * *

**A/N:** _Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. I also hope it was worth the wait. The next chapter should be out within a couple weeks. Don't forget to leave a review. :)_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: It may be a little late, but here's the latest as promised. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Guards!"

Regina shrieked with fury as she frantically paced through her palace.

Five men scrambled into the foyer and got down on one knee before the Queen.

"Your Majesty," the guard in front, Bruce, addressed her.

"Get up," Regina angrily ordered. "Not only have I lost my ring, but now I've lost my princess as well."

"Would you like us to find her," one of the other guards asked.

Bruce elbowed the other guard in his armor and caused it to clank against his chain sleeves.

"I would like to know just how she _escaped_," Regina growled. "There are supposed to be ten men making rounds to ensure the safety of this palace. She couldn't have left without anyone seeing her."

"Your Majesty," Bruce carefully started with is head bowed, chin to his chest. "There were a few of us that circled around the east wing and paid Elroy a visit in the infirmary. In shifts, of course. One at a time."

Regina clenched her jaw and fought back a growl.

"You deemed _that _more important than watching the perimeter," Regina asked before she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"My apologizes, Your Majesty," Bruce said. "We shouldn't have spent so much time and energy on Elroy."

"You're right," Regina said. "But there's no use in wasting more time dwelling on it."

Bruce furrowed his brow, confused.

Regina darkly chuckled.

"Oh, who am I kidding," Regina rhetorically asked before she held out a hand, clenched as if it were wrapped around someone's neck.

Magically, she choked the guard to Bruce's right.

"He dies if you fail to bring back the princess."

The man garbled and coughed as he struggled to breathe.

"And if that's not enough to go out and search for her, every hour you're unsuccessful at bringing her to me, another one of you dies."

The guards ran out the front door with her last threat.

When the group left her, she rolled her eyes and relinquished the guard she'd started to strangle.

The guard gasped in all the air he could and coughed a few times.

"Thank you for sparing me, Your Majesty," the guard said. "I shall go looking for the princess in response to your generosity."

The guard tried to leave, but the Queen held up her hand and stopped him.

"Who said I was sparing you," Regina stated. "I'm only refusing to waste my energy on you at the moment. Now, the dungeon is a more preferable place for you until I get what I want."

Regina carelessly waved her hand and the guard disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

As the smoke dissipated, Regina sauntered up to the war room.

* * *

Regina glided her hand over the table and magically made a map appear, as she had done when she checked to see Snow's movements and position relative to the Dark Palace.

"Emma, where are you," Regina asked the map as she searched the expanse for a dot, a little fleck of hope that she would get her princess back.

Nothing.

No sign of even a flicker of light.

Regina took a deep breath and clenched a fist around the corner of the table. Her eyes burned with an intense fire as she glared at the desolate map.

"You have a few people waiting downstairs, Your Majesty," the Huntsman informed the Queen from the doorway. "They're here to discuss-"

"I know why they're here," Regina snapped. "Send them up here and apologize for my tardiness. I wish to address the princess' absence for the moment."

Regina waved her hand over the table again and made the map disappear.

"Would you like me to explain why they'll be kept waiting?"

"Of course not," Regina barked. "And you should really reconsider how you talk to me, _Huntsman_."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," he bowed his head.

Regina strutted toward the doorway.

"Know your place," Regina said as she pushed the Huntsman square in his chest and shoved him out of her way.

Regina disappeared behind the thick door of her bedchamber and hurriedly went to the vanity. She sat down and carelessly waved a hand from right to left in front of the mirror.

The former Genie's head appeared in the glass surrounded by a cloud of blue smoke.

"Can you show her to me," Regina asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot, though you should know that by now."

Regina frowned.

"Or do you not remember what I told you after that...incident. Then again on every birthday following-"

"Yes, I remember," Regina quickly said to stop him from saying anything else. "But...she's not with _them_, is she? If she's out there somewhere, not with Snow or Charming, can't you show her to me?"

"I guess I shall be reminding you yet again," the Genie said, a little tired. "It isn't about _where _the princess is. The spell the Blue Fairy cast is to ensure that I, ostensibly _you_, cannot _ever _look in on her."

Regina solemnly looked down at the desk connected to the mirror.

"I've noticed, Your Majesty, over the last few days. Knowing what I know, I can actually say I'm sorry she's gone and even more sorry I cannot help you find her."

Regina looked up at the Genie with confusion.

"What exactly is it that you've noticed? More importantly, _why _have you been spying on me?"

"When you brought the princess back here, I was concerned something might happen to you so I kept an eye."

"And what did you notice?"

Before the Genie could answer, there was a commotion outside the palace.

Grunts, guttural growls, and throaty yells erupted from the front yard.

Regina looked at her closed chamber door and with an absent-minded wave of her hand, the Genie vanished from the mirror. She rose from the high back chair and headed down to the foyer.

"Your Majesty," a guard yelled as the Queen descended the stairs.

A few more guards addressed her the same way and started to talk over each other.

"One at a time," Regina ordered with a raised hand to silence them. "You."

She pointed at the guard closest to the palace entrance.

"Your Majesty," the guard started. "You're needed outside. The other guards say it's pertinent."

"Did they say why?"

The guard shook his head.

"They said there wasn't time for explanations."

"Fine," Regina drew the word out in a deep tone. "You four are dismissed. Resume your previous positions around the palace."

Regina sauntered over to the double door and threw them open in a showy manner. She descended the steps on the patio-like area that surrounded the front entrance and saw blonde curls and a dark red dress she recognized from her closet.

The figure jogged toward her as several guards attempted to catch her and bring her to the Queen themselves.

Emma.

The princess' eyes were locked on Regina as she smiled at the other woman.

Regina felt her heart thump roughly in her chest and Emma's smile almost caused her to smile back. But she remembered the events of the morning. She remembered how she had woken up to an empty bed. She remembered how she personally searched every room of the palace for Emma before she demanded the guards find her. What she remembered most, however, was how she had put her search for Emma before the search for her beloved ring.

Regina didn't smile at Emma.

Two guards sidled up to the princess on either side of her and they each grabbed an arm.

Emma's smile faded as she looked from the stern and upset Queen to the guards at her sides.

"Release her," Regina coldly commanded as she continued to walk toward the blonde.

The guards let Emma go and stepped away from her as Regina came within a few inches from her.

Their faces were close, hers and Regina's.

"What did I tell you about leaving," Regina yelled.

"I'm sorry, Regina, but I-"

"Silence!"

Emma flinched as Regina stepped further into her personal space.

"You are not to leave the palace ever again. You will not even leave my bedchamber! Do you understand?"

"But I-"

"Enough," Regina growled then turned and headed back toward the double doors to her palace. "My guards will escort you back to my chamber-"

"I found your ring!"

Regina stopped. She stood still for a moment then turned back to Emma.

When Emma had her attention, she placed both hands over her stomach and slipped the object off her ring finger. She held it out to Regina.

"I apologize for wearing it, but upon my return there were some wolves and I believe a poacher? I didn't get a good look. The man had some arrows and hid in the shadows and I didn't want him to find me. It was dark and I was in the woods. I didn't want to lose the ring so I wore it."

Regina walked back to Emma and looked from the younger woman to the ring she held in her hand. Daniel's ring. Her mouth opened as she stared at it.

"You," Regina breathed out in awe, her focus still on the ring. "You went in search for my ring?"

Regina's eyes flicked from the ring to green orbs.

"I told you you'd have it by morning," Emma smiled.

Regina stared, mouth agape, for a few moments before she remembered they weren't alone.

"Guards, leave us," Regina demanded.

The guards dispersed.

"I know it's a little late in the morning, but it wasn't easy to find this ring," Emma said as she slowly stepped closer to Regina.

"Where was it?"

"At the stables. Over by where we...um..." Emma trailed off as a blush colored her cheeks. "You know."

Regina slowly started to smile at Emma's embarrassment.

"It was the strangest thing, really," Emma continued and looked up from the ring to Regina's eyes. "I searched the ground from the start of the woods all the way to the stables. Then, when I got to the stables, I saw the grave."

Regina looked down at the ground and tried to fight the heartbreak she felt.

"I knelt in front of it and paid my respects."

Regina looked up at Emma.

"But you didn't even know him."

"No, but he must have been an honorable man from the way you've spoken of him."

_Emma bowed her head and silently apologized to a man she'd never met. _

"_Thank you for making Regina happy while you were with her," Emma said to the grave. "I wish you had been able to spend more time with her. It's a shame you two didn't get a happy ending. I believe everyone should have one. Part of the reason I believe people turn to the darkness and do bad things are because they've lost the light._

"_Regina...she's far from the woman I assume you knew, but when she talks about you she gets this look in her eyes."_

_Emma smiled as she recalled the brunette's face._

"_We've only talked about you a couple times, but even when she'd sad about what happened, about how you got here, there's this...innocence to her. Her eyes soften and she seems to forget all about being Queen and magic and revenge._

"_Anyway, I should find the ring. She'll probably get angry if she finds out I left the palace and here I am, talking to the grave of a man I only know two things about: his name and how he died._

"_Now, if I were a ring...where would I hide from the person who desperately wants me back?"_

_Emma placed a hand on top of the grave to stand when an odd but warm feeling swelled within her._

_The warmth she felt inside contrasted with the chill of the night. The combination of the two temperatures formed goosebumps all over her body. _

_Emma moved back toward the ground as the feeling overwhelmed her. As she gulped, she felt that unidentifiable feeling mix with the familiar magnetic pull she often experienced._

_Her eyes immediately looked across the stables toward the place where had conjured a blanket for her and Regina. She removed her hand from the grave and the warm feeling faded._

_Once she stood, the magnetic pull guided her to the area she'd felt Regina's body for the first time before the riding lesson._

_Then, the magnetic pull relented and she was on her own._

_She scanned the grass before she dropped down to her knees and felt around for minutes that turned into hours as she crawled on all hours. She moved slowly, deliberately, in a thorough search in the dark until she felt something hard and round in the grass. When she touched it, a finger slid through the center of the object and Emma smiled at the discovery._

_She picked it up and held it out in the moonlight. The ring reflected some of the light and transformed Emma's smile into a beaming expression. _

"Do you forgive me," Emma asked with a hopeful look on her face.

Regina laughed, a genuine laugh free of any condescension.

"Of course I forgive you, my dear. But I don't want you running off again."

Emma nodded.

"Am I still confined to your bedchamber?"

"You should be, but...no. You have the same privileges as you did yesterday."

Emma smiled.

"So long as you don't forget to inform me of your whereabouts."

"Okay."

"I still have that 'evil roundtable' I told you about yesterday," Regina said. "I believe I've kept them waiting long enough. Still care to accompany me?"

"Yes."

"Very well then," Regina said as she tried to take the ring from Emma.

"Wait," Emma said as she pulled the ring away from Regina. "Can you conjure a gold chain?"

"May I get my ring back first?"

"No."

"Emma, please don't test my patience."

"Regina, trust me. Conjure the chain. Make sure it has a clasp. Also, you'll want it to be a bit dainty. Something small and elegant."

"Anything else, _Princess_," Regina asked with an arched eyebrow.

Emma stifled a laugh as she smiled.

"No. That's it."

Regina flicked her wrist and ended the motion with her palm up. She closed her hand around a gold chain that met every last one of Emma's specifications. It dangled from Regina's hand on either side of her palm before she turned her hand over so her palm faced the ground and held the chain out to Emma.

Emma held the ring between two fingers and moved it up half the length of the chain before she grabbed the chain at both ends.

Regina stared at the blonde, confused.

Emma walked around Regina then stopped behind her. She reached out in front of Regina and pulled the ends of the chain toward herself.

The ring touched Regina's sternum.

"Pull your hair away from your neck," Emma said without command or force of any kind.

Regina swept her hair off her neck.

Emma united the ends of the chain with the clasp then released the chain.

The ring slid less than an inch down Regina's sternum and rested just above her breasts.

Regina brought her hand to her chest and touched the ring with her fingertips as Emma walked around her again.

Emma stood in front of Regina with a smile.

"Do you like it," Emma asked. "You can wear the ring as a necklace. That should keep you from losing it again while also keeping it close."

Regina stood speechless, her mouth agape.

"That _is_ why you kept it in your pocket, is it not," Emma asked.

Regina closed her mouth and nodded.

"Consider me in your debt, Princess," Regina said before she made the space between them nonexistent.

Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's waist and pulled her into a hard, passionate kiss.

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's neck and kissed back with as much passion.

When they needed air, they broke the kiss. Regina let go of Emma and stepped back.

"I really wish I didn't have business to attend to, my dear," Regina said. "I could kiss you all day."

Emma closed the space between them and chastely kissed Regina.

Regina smiled.

"But as I've said, I am in your debt. Whatever you want. Name it and it shall be yours. One thing that would make you happy."

"Do I have to decide right now?"

"No," Regina shook her head with a small smile. "But you'll let me know when you do?"

"I will."

"Good. Now, we must go to the war room for a discussion I'd rather not have. Though it is my fault the discussion is needed."

Regina took Emma's hand and laced their fingers as they walked into the palace.

"What's the 'evil roundtable' for anyway," Emma asked.

"Your parents."

* * *

Emma looked back and forth between Regina and Bruce as the two argued.

"But, Your Majesty, if we don't attack they will," Bruce insisted. "Surely that barrier won't last."

"We will _not _attack. We stay on the defensive this time," Regina firmly stated.

"Why after all these years would you do such a thing," Bruce asked.

The rest of the Royal Guard sat in silence around the table while their leader fought with their Queen.

"Having the princess here will only cause you more trouble than satisfaction," Bruce continued. "I understand that bedding your enemy's daughter must be immensely gratifying, but at what cost?"

"As I have told the Dark One, so shall I tell you," Regina growled as she stood. "My intentions with the princess are of only _my _concern."

Bruce sighed through his nose and remained rigid in his chair to Regina's left.

Emma gulped, uncomfortable being the subject of discussion, especially since she was in the room.

"Allow me to remind you it is your duty to obey my command. Defy me and you shall be punished. You will also treat the princess with respect."

Emma's eyes immediately snapped up at Regina. She remained in the chair to the brunette's right with her hands settled in her lap. She picked at her cuticles and twiddled her thumbs. At Regina's demand for respect in her name, she stilled her hands, but kept them in her lap.

"I made the mistake of not properly introducing her to you," Regina added. "I suppose I'll do that now."

Regina looked over at Emma and held out a hand to the younger woman.

Emma nervously looked up at Regina. She forced herself not to pay any attention to anyone's eyes but Regina's even though everyone had their gazes trained on her.

Regina extended her hand further and gently, carefully, took Emma's hand in hers. She lifted the blonde to her feet and guided her to head of the table. She turned Emma toward the people and rested her hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"This is Princess Emma," Regina continued from behind Emma. "Treat her as you are to treat me."

Regina slowly, possessively, ran her hands down Emma's arms.

"Address her as 'Your Highness' and know that her purpose is far more superior than a woman to bed. In fact, she will probably be more useful to me than any of you for reasons I don't have to divulge, nor does she."

Emma looked around the table and made eye contact with everyone in attendance.

"And if _any _of you try to touch her in any vile or demeaning or unwanted way," Regina's eyes shifted to the Huntsman who sat next to Bruce. "I will not hesitate to punish, if not _kill_, you."

Regina wrapped an arm around Emma's waist, her attention still fixed on the Huntsman over Emma's shoulder as she stood behind the princess.

"Now, tell me where Snow and Charming are," Regina growled as she peered over Emma's shoulder at the rest of the people around the table.

Regina held Emma close, their bodies flush against each other, as she kept an arm around the blonde's waist.

"We had eyes on them last night during sunset. They were with a few guards and that woman with the red hood," one of the guards reported.

"Red," Emma breathed out in surprise.

Regina looked at Emma and studied the blonde's features to see what her response was to the information provided.

"They came back to the barrier, Your Majesty," a knight supplied.

Regina finally looked away from Emma and turned her attention to her guards.

"Have they been able to weaken it," Regina asked as she subconsciously tightened her grip on Emma.

"Not from what we've seen," Bruce replied.

"I was there late last night," another guard spoke up. "After the sun went down. The hooded woman sniffed around before she removed the cloak. She turned into a wolf, howled at the moon, then charged the barrier."

Regina waited for more, but the man didn't continue.

"Well? Did she manage to pass? Out with it, Rivers!"

"Oh, she was unsuccessful," the guard, Rivers, answered. "She tried a few more times, but all were met with failure. The wolf whimpered a bit too."

Regina felt Emma tense in her arm.

"Snow and Charming had to help her up after she transformed back into her human form," Rivers added, oblivious to Emma's change in demeanor.

Regina, however, was not as oblivious.

The brunette used her free hand, the one not joined with the arm she had wrapped around Emma's waist, on the princess' hip. She lightly squeezed to not only draw the blonde's attention, but to silently reassure the younger woman.

"They left," Rivers again continued, still oblivious.

Emma kept listening to him, though she focused her gaze solely on Regina.

"But Snow White and the prince discussed that they would be back before they helped the other woman back to the White Palace."

Emma flashed a brief smile at Regina, seemingly as a way of thanks for the other woman's concern, before Rivers finished his opinionated comment.

"Although, I'll tell you, if that Child of the Moon they were with is really their friend, I would think they'd tend to her and make sure she's alright before they think about crossing the Queen,"Rivers said.

Emma's attention quickly snapped to the man and she stiffened once again.

Regina saw and felt the change in the blonde again and immediately glared at Rivers.

"That's enough," Regina barked at him.

At the other end of the table, one of the people in attendance that was not a knight or guard watched Regina's behavior with intense and curious eyes.

"If you can't bite your tongue..." Regina trailed off as a smirk slowly spread across her lips.

Regina didn't finish her sentence as she flicked her wrist and wickedly grinned at the result.

The guards' eyes bulged and he opened his mouth to talk only to find himself without a tongue.

Emma gasped, along with a few other people at the table, but she was the only one to turn to Regina with scolding eyes.

"Regina," Emma quietly warned as she tried not to undermine the woman's authority in front of the others, not that truly believed she could do that anyway. "Give him back his tongue."

Regina scoffed at the mere thought of doing such a thing.

"Regina," Emma warned again as she pushed further into the brunette's body.

Emma remained only half-turned toward the Queen, but their lips were inches away as she leaned closer to the woman.

Regina looked from Emma's eyes down to her lips.

Rivers groaned and whimpered at the table as he failed to accept the loss of his tongue. He waved his hands around in a feminine manner that would make anyone second guess his position as a capable guard.

Regina and Emma were the only ones to ignore him, except for the watchful eyes across the room.

Emma noticed Regina's eyes on her mouth and genuinely smiled.

Regina looked up and saw the amusement on the younger woman's face, though she also noticed the exhaustion.

"I'll give you a kiss later if you return his tongue," Emma promised under her breath as her lips occasionally brushed against Regina's when she spoke.

"Are you offering your tongue in exchange for his," Regina asked with a small smirk.

"You'll find out if you do as I ask."

A gleam more like one the Evil Queen would display swirled in Emma's green eyes.

Regina rolled her eyes and sighed as she raised her hand and dismissively waved it.

Rivers instantly yelped and realized it wasn't muffled as it had when he'd been without a tongue. He breathed heavily for a moment before he touched his throat then cleared it before he tried to speak.

"Your Majesty," he huskily said as he tried to find his voice.

Rivers swallowed hard before he continued.

"I apologize for my blatant disregard. It shall not happen again."

"It had better not," Regina darkly and slowly warned with a penetrating gaze that could have easily set the man ablaze had the Queen chosen to do so.

Emma turned in Regina's arms again and faced the table.

"My parents, do any of you feel as though they are a threat," Emma asked. "Do you think they'll be back with magic?"

Rivers glared at her.

"Your _parents _are always a threat to this palace, to the Evil Queen. Though they are idiots so maybe we've got plenty of time to just relax before they decide to attack. I'm also quite certain that their attack will be poor and easy to defend against."

Rivers arrogantly grinned at the princess.

Emma narrowed her eyes at the man, but she wasn't the one to speak to him.

"Take into consideration who just awarded your tongue back to you," Regina angrily growled at Rivers. "And need I remind you to treat her with _respect_!"

"I know I do not run this palace," Emma started just after Regina finished. "But I am as concerned about my parents' arrival as all of you. If I ask you a question, I would prefer you give me an answer."

"And she shall be awarded one if there is one to be provided," Regina added from behind her, her arm still wrapped around Emma's waist.

Rivers cast his eyes down to the table in front of him at hearing the Queen's words.

Emma proudly smiled and lifted her chin high much like the Queen did when she felt powerful.

Regina noticed as she remained behind the blonde. She grinned and moved her hand at Emma's hip to clasp her other hand as she brought Emma into an embrace, both her arms wrapped around the blonde's waist. She pulled Emma flush against her and shifted from foot to foot like a slow dance.

Before Emma could suppress it, her expression fell and she yawned. She raised a hand to cover her mouth as she did and the sudden intake of breath got Regina's attention.

Regina frowned and stopped swaying with Emma to turn the woman toward herself.

"You must be tired. Did you get _any _sleep while you were out looking for my ring," Regina asked.

Emma looked over her shoulder at Regina and shook her head.

Regina looked to everyone at the table and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out the voice that belonged to the watchful eyes in the corner filled the room.

"So sweet," a woman's low tone came from the far end of the table. "You're willing to allow the daughter of your enemy to run your palace now?"

Regina glared at the blonde that sat confidently in her chair. She seemed relaxed and almost predatory in the way she stared at the Queen. It reminded her greatly of Maleficent.

"Of course not," Regina replied. "But I refuse to let her be treated like some lowly commoner, especially given her stature."

The blonde woman haughtily chuckled and curiously leaned forward in her chair, out of the shadows.

"Right," she drew out the word in a playful growl.

Suddenly, Regina recognized the blonde. Her eyes widen as she gasped and clutched Emma tighter.

"She's a princess, dear," the woman continued. "It won't end well. You should have just stuck to our little plan."

Emma quizzically stared at the blonde across the room. She had felt Regina tense and pull her closer again like she'd done before when Emma assumed she'd felt threatened. She looked over her shoulder with the same quizzical expression then directed it at Regina. She didn't get the chance to ask the brunette who the other woman was. Regina answered her question before she could even form it.

"Maleficent," Regina breathed out.

Emma's eyes grew wide in shock much like Regina's. She instinctively placed a hand over Regina's joined hands on her torso and squeezed. It was her way of doing what Regina had done in an attempt to keep the other close.

"How," Regina asked, still stunned.

"How do you think," Maleficent asked. "Rumpelstiltskin."

The guards remained silent as they watched the exchange between the two women, their heads hunting back and forth between them at opposite ends of the table.

"Why are you here? This meeting is for _allies_ only," Regina snapped with her usual bravado to intimidate, though Regina could tell – just as Emma could – that it hadn't worked.

"Relax," Maleficent rolled her eyes. "I'm not here to stop you...or even seek revenge, though I should given what you did to me. Being a dragon isn't as much as fun as some would hope."

Emma gulped.

"Then what do you want?"

"Same as I wanted before you forced me to give back the dark curse. ...You."

Maleficent stood and sauntered toward the Queen.

Emma had never learned to wield a sword. She'd never even held a sword. Well, she had once, but when she whirled it around in her hand she nearly sliced her father's bicep open before he plucked it from her hands. Even so, she still reached for the sheathed sword closest to her from an unsuspecting knight and pointed the tip at Maleficent's throat before the woman could come any closer than the length of the sword.

Maleficent laughed.

Regina stared at Emma in awe. She could tell Emma wasn't practiced at sword wielding, but the gesture was enough to surprise and warm her.

"You will not have her," Emma boldly insisted with a deep tone.

"And you think _you _can keep me from her," Maleficent incredulously asked.

It was Regina's turn to gulp.

"Whatever she's done with you, I can assure you she learned it from me," Maleficent held her head high and smirked.

Regina averted her gaze, though she kept her arms around Emma.

Maleficent looked over Emma's shoulder and her smirk spread to a devious grin at the sight.

Emma briefly took her eyes off Maleficent in an attempt to look at Regina through the use of her peripheral vision. She couldn't, but she had to make a choice. Instead of turning to Regina, as much as she wanted to, she kept her gaze set on Maleficent.

_Never turn your back on a threat, _Emma remembered the words of her father on one of her first nights outside the palace walls.

"Your Majesty," the Huntsman spoke up with a question.

Quickly, Regina's head snapped in the direction of the man that required her attention. Immediately, she looked around the room and regained her previous Queenly strength.

"Leave us," Regina loudly ordered. "And take Maleficent with you."

Regina's eyes glided from the Huntsman to Maleficent.

Maleficent just grinned.

The Huntsman stood, as did the rest of the guards, and he moved to grab the unwanted blonde.

Maleficent's expression fell to one of anger and repulsion at the mere thought of anyone escorting her out. She swatted the Huntsman's hand away before his fingertips could even touch her arm.

"That won't be necessary," she said as she stared the man down.

The Huntsman looked between Maleficent and the Queen.

"Well, don't just stand there," Regina yelled. "Remove her from my presence this instant!"

The Huntsman sighed and tried to grab Maleficent again, but she flung out a hand and magically sent him flying across the room. He crashed into the far wall, near where Maleficent had previously sat, and the air left his lungs upon impact.

Maleficent dropped her hand to her side and the Huntsman fell to the ground. She turned her attention back to Emma and Regina. She chuckled and waved her other hand in front of the sword. She magically yanked it from Emma's hand and flipped the sword around in the space between them. She took control of the sword with ease and held it to Emma as the younger blonde had held it to her.

Regina let go of Emma and, in the blink of an eye, she closed her fist around the back of her own red dress that Emma wore. She pulled Emma back and stepped in front of her before Maleficent could jab her with the sword.

"No," Emma yelled as her eyes widened in fear.

Maleficent didn't thrust the sword at Emma, but she used enough force to do some damage. Though, she didn't bring that damage onto Emma as intended.

Since Regina had moved as the sword made contact, it poked and sliced at her collarbone. She winced and raised a hand to magically retaliate. Immediately, Maleficent dropped the sword as she gasped and flew back against the nearest wall almost directly behind her.

"You will _not _lay a hand on her," Regina barked before she lowered her tone to a growl before she continued. "And you will not be making it out of this palace alive."

Emma hurried to rejoin Regina and stood behind her as the brunette had done earlier. She rested her hands on the Queen's hips.

"You have a dungeon, don't you," Emma asked.

Regina furiously glared at Maleficent as she listened to Emma, the younger woman's voice in her ear as she felt the princess bring their bodies almost flush together.

"Yes," Regina answered through gritted teeth as she kept Maleficent magically bound to the wall.

"Just lock her up. You won't have to worry about her there."

"Have you not seen?! She has magic. She'll escape. She'll always be a threat so long as she lives."

"She's right, Princess," Maleficent confirmed. "And until I have what I want, I'm not going to leave either of you alone."

"Why would Rumpelstiltskin turn you back into your human form," Regina asked. "What use are you to him?"

"The only thing he said was how lovely it would be to see the show," Maleficent replied with a grin.

"Show," Emma quietly asked, confused.

Maleficent heard her, though she wasn't meant to, and curled her lips into a devilish smirk.

"He knew what I wanted. Regina broke off our..._engagement _much too soon. He knew I'd come after her if I ever got my human form back so he paid me a visit, freed me of my dragon skin."

"Engagement," Emma sadly asked, her face scrunched up in disappointment.

Maleficent felt all the more prideful for it.

Regina narrowed her eyes and curled her fingers, which began to magically cut off Maleficent's air supply.

Regina turned to Emma with soft eyes.

"Not that kind of engagement. We were never to be married, my dear," Regina gently informed her.

"My dear?"

Maleficent interrupted the moment and callously laughed.

"You're giving her a sort of pet name? How cute," Maleficent sarcastically continued. "I guarantee she can't give you what I can."

"Oh, please," Regina snapped at her. "You're only jealous because I never called you anything special."

"Of course not. You were still head over heels in love with _Daniel_."

"_Never _speak his name," Regina yelled as she tightened her grip on Maleficent's throat.

The unwanted blonde made guttural noises as she struggled to breathe.

"Regina," Emma softly warned as she slowly wrapped her arms around Regina's waist. "I'm tired and I really don't want to see you kill someone."

Emma looked from Regina to Maleficent and glared before she finished.

"As _awful _as this woman is."

Regina flicked her other wrist in Maleficent's direction and conjured a thick cloth to gag the woman before she used her other hand to make Maleficent's presence against the wall more permanent.

Suddenly, the cement wall pooled like wet concrete over Maleficent's wrists. Once the woman's arms were covered in the unset cement, it dried over her wrists and trapped her against the wall.

When she knew Maleficent would not be able to escape her hold, she turned in Emma's arms and cupped the younger woman's face with both hands. She smiled warmly at Emma.

"This is the one time I will ask you to allow me the cruel act of murder. I've been kind enough to go easy on the guards as you've wanted, but I _cannot _risk letting this woman live," Regina explained.

"Please don't do this," Emma pleaded. "Remember how I see you?"

Regina sadly smiled before she nodded.

"I witnessed what you did to that guard last night. Though I didn't leave the palace because of it, I didn't appreciate it. It was hard to see you as Regina having seen you as...the Evil Queen," Emma frowned.

Regina leaned in and rested her forehead against Emma's.

"But that's who I am," Regina said.

"It's not."

Regina looked down and smiled as she kept her forehead against Emma's.

"I haven't been Regina since I lost Daniel and was forced to marry the King."

"But you _have been _Regina. With me."

Regina looked up and met Emma's eyes with her own before Emma spoke again.

"Don't you see?"

Maleficent chuckled through her gag.

Regina tried her hardest to ignore her. Emma did the same.

"You turned her into a dragon. Can't you turn her into something else, something less threatening? _Then _you can lock her up, away from you and out of Rumpelstiltskin's reach," Emma added.

Regina leaned in further and pressed her lips to Emma's with a smile.

Emma smiled into the kiss the second she felt Regina's upturned lips against hers.

Regina only let the kiss linger for a quick moment before she pulled back and broke it.

"You are a genius," Regina slowly complimented her before she brought Emma back into another chaste kiss.

"Thank you," Emma smiled.

"But I'll do you one better. I'll strip her of her powers."

"Okay."

"Though now I maybe owe you two," Regina said as she slid her hands from Emma's face to the younger woman's chest and down to her hips.

"Two," Emma asked with clear confusion.

"Two things that will make you happy. Can you think of anything yet?"

"Oh. No. Well, maybe."

Emma shifted in their embrace like a rosy-cheeked, awkward teenager.

Regina smiled in response to Emma's adorable actions.

"You said you'd tell me when you knew," Regina said with a light tone.

"Now isn't the best time," Emma said as she looked at Regina then over the brunette's shoulder at the other blonde in the room.

The Huntsman coughed and slowly got to his feet in the corner.

Both the direction of Emma's attention and the Huntsman coughing pulled Regina from the moment and reminded her how right Emma was.

"Right," Regina said as she turned to face Maleficent.

Emma let go of Regina as she turned. She looked over at the Huntsman and sympathetically smiled at him.

He gave a single nod before he made his way to the door behind her and took a moment to look over at Regina and Maleficent.

Regina flicked one of her wrists and removed the gag while she caused the cement to drip off Maleficent's wrists.

Maleficent fell onto her knees in front of the wall. She looked up from her position on all fours at Regina's feet. She chuckled with a smirk.

"You always had a love for bondage and control," Maleficent quipped. "Anything to get a lover on their knees."

Maleficent looked from Regina to Emma with a dark, satisfied gleam in her eyes as she slowly, gloriously, started to rise to her feet.

The second Regina saw Maleficent look at Emma, and in such a way no less, she began to chant in a strange language.

A spell.

Maleficent's eyes widened in recognition that Regina wasn't bluffing with her plan to strip her of her powers. She raised a hand to attack, but Regina was just as fast.

The chair Maleficent tried to throw at Regina was effortlessly deflected by its target. The chair flew back a few feet and slid the rest of the way across the floor to the other end of the room right when Regina finished the spell.

Regina held out her other hand and performed a careless grabbing motion before Maleficent arched her back at what Regina's actions caused.

A burst of green energy flared through Maleficent's chest before it crossed the space between her and the brunette.

Regina absorbed the flow of green energy through her fingers until the energy stopped and Maleficent lifelessly fell to the ground.

Regina closed her eyes as she took a moment to reel from the newly acquired power. When she slowly opened her eyes, they swirled with purple before her irises returned to their normal brown hue.

Maleficent looked up at Regina, breathless and disbelieving as she pushed herself onto her knees. She huffed out a sigh and tiredly stared into Regina's eyes.

"All of this, all the power you've worked for, all the times you and I talked about ending Snow and Charming's life together. You're going to give it all up for _her_? She is no more than a pathetic lay," Maleficent spat. "If you've even done that much with her. She _reeks_ of inexperience."

Regina snapped her fingers and a cloud of purple smoke swirled around Maleficent.

"I think we've heard enough. Time for you to go," Regina growled as she victoriously watched Maleficent disappear in the smoke with wide eyes.

"You are _mine_," Maleficent demanded with a raspy yell before the smoke claimed her.

Within seconds, the smoke dissipated and left Regina and Emma alone in the room.

Regina turned back to Emma with a small grin, but it quickly vanished upon seeing Emma's frown and downcast eyes. She took the few steps toward Emma that closed the space between them and cupped one of Emma's cheeks as she rested her other hand on the younger woman's hip.

"Emma?"

Emma took a step back, away from Regina's touch, and shook her head as she dropped her gaze further. She kept her eyes focused on the ground.

"What's wrong, my dear?"

"I shouldn't be here. You shouldn't... You deserve better than me."

Regina furrowed her brow and felt a pain she'd never felt before. It wasn't physical and, though it was emotional, it wasn't the same as when she'd spent all those years under the King's control. She knew Emma probably wanted the space, which was why – Regina assumed – she had pulled away in the first place. In any case, she took a step forward and once again closed the space between them.

"What do you mean," Regina asked as she shook her head, her face contorted to show the pain she felt for Emma.

Regina reached out and hooked a finger under Emma's chin before she raised it to get the blonde to make eye contact with her.

Emma still refused to look at her.

"Emma?"

Regina's tone was soft, pleading, more so than Emma's had been when she asked Regina not to kill Maleficent.

Regina dipped her head to try and meet Emma's eyes herself.

Emma sniffled and slowly flicked her eyes up to stare into Regina's.

Regina's lips parted in shock as she saw the tears in green eyes just before one fell and stained a cheek.

"I'm twenty-eight years old and I _know _I want to give myself to you and yet...I can't. I can't and you should be with someone who can give you that. You should be able to enjoy the physical and I'm keeping you from that."

"No," Regina shook her head again as her eyes watered at the sight of Emma. "If that's what I wanted, if I felt that I deserved more than what you can give me right now, then I would have forced the Huntsman back into my bed or found someone else to please me."

Emma sniffled again.

Regina unhooked her finger from Emma's chin and brought it under Emma's eye before she swiped away a tear.

"Twenty-eight, Regina?! Twenty-eight."

Regina placed a hand on Emma's bicep and gently squeezed.

"We're going to continue this discussion in my bedchamber. I'm going to transport us, okay?"

Emma swallowed back a sob before she nodded.

"Okay," Regina said no louder than whisper as she pulled Emma into a hug.

She cradled Emma's head against her chest and rested one hand on blonde hair and the other on Emma's back.

It took only a moment as purple smoke consumed them and took them from the war room to Regina's chamber.

Once they were there, Regina rubbed Emma's back a few times before she eased the younger woman away from her. She rested her hands on Emma's shoulders and tried to make eye contact with her again.

Emma didn't struggle that time. She met Regina's gaze in seconds.

"I would rather you wait until you're sixty if that's when you're ready," Regina continued. "I didn't give myself to anyone. My innocent was taken from me, ripped away the first night of my marriage to the King. I value innocence, as I believe I've told you, and even if you're twenty-eight and you're not ready, I will respect that. And if it is me to you truly want to give yourself to, I will gladly wait. Although, I must admit I never used to value innocence before I met you."

"I just...I don't know why I can't- Why I can't do that," Emma said between shaky sobs.

"You...are more than I will _ever _deserve, my dear," Regina slowly confessed.

"But...But I- I want-"

"Shh," Regina tried to sooth her as she brushed stray blonde tresses out of Emma's face. "You're tired. It's not as serious as you're making it out to be. I promise."

"But I want _you_. And I can't...I can't let you touch me and I don't know why."

"You're not ready."

"My body is," Emma childishly insisted.

Regina lightly laughed.

"But you're mind isn't. Those are two completely different things."

"Sometimes...sometimes I think I can. Like yesterday. But then I...I don't know."

Regina ran her hands down Emma's arms and pulled her toward the bed as she walked backward to do so.

"I think I know why," Regina calmly said. "And if I'm wrong, so be it. It may help you figure out what's stopping you."

When Regina's thighs hit the edge of the bed, she turned Emma and eased her onto it.

Emma sat down with Regina's comforting help.

"Tell me what's wrong with me," Emma desperately demanded without any bite or force as she looked up through dark, wet lashes.

"There's nothing wrong with you," Regina assured her. "Just lay down."

"Maleficent is right. I'm a pathetic lay."

"Hey," Regina sternly tried to pull Emma's attention away from her dark thoughts. "Maleficent is _not _right. Never listen to her. She only said that because she's jealous."

"Jealous of what? I'm not worth it. I'm not a good princess, I would never make a good leader, I'm a huge tease, and it's just sex!"

Regina listened to Emma ramble and believed absolutely none of it.

"It's not just sex. But it's not something to over-think either, my dear."

"Was it just sex when we were at the stables," Emma asked, hopeful as she looked up at Regina again.

Regina slowly smiled as she looked Emma over and saw how small she seemed. It reminded her of the few times she'd seen Emma as a child. She had grown so much, but there were still plenty of things about her that, thankfully, hadn't changed. Somehow, she knew how to calm Emma when she acted like that.

"No. I've never gone that slow with someone before. I've only ever had the two relationships aside from my time with the King, which only loosely do I call them that, and they've both been about power. With you, I did just as you said I would. I let you in. I let you see me naked in the light. I took my time. I made sounds for you that I don't usual make because I'd trained myself not to, partially by force. ...No, dear. It wasn't just sex."

Regina ran a hand through Emma's hair and watched the younger woman's eyes flutter closed due to the sensation. She smiled just as Emma leaned into the touch of her hand.

Emma, with her eyes closed, leaned forward and pressed a simple kiss to Regina's wrist. As she pulled away, she opened her eyes and instantly met Regina's gaze. She grabbed Regina's forearm and held it as she leaned in further that time. She kissed Regina and pushed the brunette back to get her to lay down on the bed.

Regina moaned as Emma kissed her hard and didn't hesitate to slide her tongue past barely parted lips. She gave in and allowed Emma a small bit of control as she slowly lowered herself onto her back.

Emma straddled one of Regina's thighs as she continued to feverishly kiss the woman beneath her, a hand still clasped around Regina's forearm though she pinned it against the bed to use that hand to hold herself up. She slid her other hand up Regina's torso and palmed one of the other woman's breasts.

Regina got lost in the feeling of Emma's hands on her and hummed her approval. She momentarily forgot the conversation she and Emma were having before the blonde stopped talking and started acting.

Regina pressed her unbound hand to Emma's hip and rolled the blonde onto her back. She mimicked Emma's previous position and straddled one of the younger woman's thighs. She pushed her tongue against Emma's in a battle for dominance over the kiss. She moved her hand further up the bed and felt Emma's fingers surprisingly still wrapped around her forearm. No matter how she moved, Emma kept her grip on Regina's arm.

Emma broke the kiss to breathe, her nose a little stuffed up from her earlier crying, before she went right back at it. She felt Regina grind against her, just a quick movement and only once. She didn't think Regina wanted to push her too far.

Emma was right.

Regina slowly came out of the haze Emma created in her mind. Right before she could pull away to reassess the situation, Emma lifted Regina's hand – the one she had control over – and brought it between them.

Emma released Regina's breast to hike up her borrowed red dress while she simultaneously slipped Regina's hand underneath it, between her legs.

Regina could sense where Emma's actions were going and tried to pull away both her lips and her hand.

Emma fought her as she gripped at the back of Regina's neck to keep her head in place with one hand and tightened her hold on Regina's with the other.

Regina groaned in an attempt to protest, but Emma didn't relent.

Emma spread her legs under Regina and forced the other woman's hand into her panties.

Regina balled her hand into a fist and trapped Emma's bottom lip between her teeth. She growled at Emma and bit with mild pressure. It was a warning.

One that Emma didn't heed.

Emma pushed forward and scrunched up her face in discomfort as she felt Regina's knuckles graze her center. When she tried to twisted Regina's hand and bring two of Regina's fingers inside herself, the Queen used her magic to shock their lips.

Without much of a choice, they broke the kiss.

Regina took her only opportunity and pulled back far enough to look down at Emma as she removed her hand from between Emma's legs.

"Stop," Regina breathlessly ordered. "Emma, please stop."

Emma sobbed before she opened her eyes and looked up at Regina.

"Please," Regina said in a much softer tone.

A tear rolled down Emma's temple and into her hairline.

"What's _wrong_ with me?"

"Emma, sweetie, please let go of my hand."

Emma blinked away a few tears at the sound of Regina's new term of endearment before she let go of the woman's wrist.

Regina kissed away one of Emma's tear before it could roll across the princess' temple.

"Nothing is wrong with you," Regina reassured her before she looked over Emma. "I think the reason you're afraid to let me touch you is because you think I'll have power of you. Power you're afraid to let _anyone_ have."

Emma gulped and looked to the side.

"But I want to give that power to you. So why won't I just give it up?"

"Don't do that."

Emma immediately looked at Regina again and furrowed her brow.

"I love that you want to put that trust in me, but I don't want you to rush yourself into doing that."

"I'll be ready. I _am _ready," Emma insisted.

Regina shook her head.

"You're not. You know you're not."

"Just...touch me. I'll adjust."

Regina nearly cried at how sad Emma's request seemed.

"You need to rest. You haven't slept since the night before last. You're not thinking clearly."

"I want you," Emma admitted. "I don't want to go to sleep."

"Will you sleep if I stay here?"

Emma nodded.

"Then I'll stay here. Just give me a minute to arrange the rest of today's affairs."

Regina pecked Emma on the cheek before she slid off the bed.

Emma reached out and grabbed Regina's arm. She pulled Regina back to the bed.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Just to the mirror," Regina pointed to her vanity across the room.

Emma looked over at the mirror as she continued to hold on to Regina. She gave a moment's pause before she stared up into brown eyes then let go.

Regina flashed a small smile at Emma before she walked over to the mirror and sat down in front of it. She waved her hand in front of the glass and in an instant, the former Genie appeared.

Emma's eyes widened as she watched Regina bring a talking head to the surface of the mirror.

"Your Majesty?"

"I need you to tell my guards to send all urgent status reports through you for the rest of the day," Regina said. "They shall only inform you of the most dire situations such as an attack on the palace, especially by Snow White or Prince Charming, or an escaped prisoner. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the former Genie said before his eyes slid off Regina's form to the her bed.

He scanned his eyes over the blonde princess with a red dress he'd seen Regina wear on one or two occasions in the past. The princess' legs were spread and the hem of the dress bunched up around just above the blonde's knees. One of the former Genie's eyebrows spiked up toward his headdress before it fell back into place.

Regina looked over her shoulder to follow the man's gaze.

Emma caught the talking head's roaming eyes on her and pushed the dress down to cover her legs.

Regina turned back to the mirror with a scowl.

"Do not look at her that way," Regina growled.

The former Genie focused solely on the Queen when he heard her order.

"Of course, Your Majesty," he said as he bowed his head to her. "If there is an emergency, how shall I respond?"

"I will be here for the remainder of the day with the possible exception of supper at sundown. If I am to be reached, you will warn me in this very mirror."

"Understood. Do you seek privacy?"

"Yes. If I am needed, you chime three times before appearing."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good. Now go," Regina said with a quick wave of the hand.

The former Genie disappeared and the mirror returned to its normal reflective state.

Regina stood and went back to the bed. She snapped her fingers and changed both herself and Emma into silk sleepwear.

"I know it's a bit early for these kind of outfits, but I prefer to sleep in such attire," Regina said as she got back into bed and curled up beside Emma.

Emma rolled onto her side and faced Regina.

"I'm sorry I almost made you touch me."

Regina ran her hand down Emma's cheek. Her thumb brushed over the corner of Emma's mouth before she let it slide across the blonde's bottom lip. She parted the younger woman's lips and smiled before she leaned in and replaced her thumb with her lips.

Emma let the chaste kiss fill and warm her. She felt safe and unhurried. She knew that was the reason she wanted to give herself to Regina. The woman showed a great deal of patience, though Emma couldn't understand for the life of her why. She still believed every word she said to be true. A twenty-eight year old virgin didn't deserve to be waited on, especially not in the Enchanted Forest. If Regina wouldn't take what she wanted, then Emma would do everything she could to give it to her as soon as possible. Though, that didn't work out for either of them when she tried it, did it.

"Stop thinking," Regina said.

The sound of her voice brought Emma out of her thoughts. She looked at Regina and saw a smile on her face.

"Your eyes were glazed over and I could see your worry lines," Regina added.

"...Thank you."

Regina draped an arm over Emma's waist and held the woman close as they laid together.

"For what, my dear?"

"Waiting."

"In case I haven't made myself clear, you're worth the wait."

Emma smiled.

"Sleep," Regina started. "We'll rest until sunset and then we can eat on the balcony."

Emma's eyes started to droop.

"You did well today, my dear," Regina commended.

Emma hummed.

"You brought back my ring, which I can't thank you enough for, you stood up to Maleficent in my honor, and you've shown me that who am I when I'm with you and who I used to be are the same person."

Emma smiled and emitted a softer hum as she nuzzled her face into the crook of Regina's neck. She kissed the spot she burrowed into and draped an arm over Regina's torso.

Regina felt Emma's breathing even out without the next few minutes.

Emma had drifted off to sleep.

Regina lazily played with golden curls as she slowly started to let the worrying events of the day take their toll until sleep overtook her as well.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so I took a chance with involving Maleficent. I have a few ideas on how to tie everything together so I hope all of you stay with me while I work this out. Leave a review and let me know what you think. As much as I want/love the feedback, I NEED it too.**


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